Freezing Waters: Micheal Rickers Series
by Merchant Navy Cadet
Summary: Michael Rickers is floating in the cold harsh waters of the North Atlantic. The Decepticons are behind it. Michael and the Autobots try to unearth what is going on. While doing so the Autobots learn of Michael's dark and brutal past. Please Read & Review.
1. Chapter 1

December 12th

Latitude 43°17'6N

Longitude 37°38'2W

Mid-North Atlantic Ocean

The north Atlantic at winter is a very cold, harsh and unforgiving place to be. Today was no exception. It was a howling gale and the seas were very rough with a six to seven meter swell and wind force approaching the double figures. It was the late afternoon with evening not far round the corner. Not that you could tell. The grey skies and driving wind and rain made the ocean very dark and the visibility was down to only seven miles. This was somewhere you didn't want to be. If you had to be here, it would be preferable to at least be on a big ship.

In this formidable environment was a floating object. A man. He was floating face down as he wasn't wearing a lifejacket. He looked lifeless. The waves and the swell turned him over.

It was I, Michael Rickers. I was still alive. But it was quite clear that I wasn't going to be for long. Either I'd eventually drown or the cold would get to me.

I did manage to get back to sea, although this isn't what I had in mind.

There was nothing else in sight and by the fact that I was in the middle of the ocean in a storm, even if a ship came within meters of me, it wouldn't spot me. I would be completely hidden by the waves. The storm raged on and I was going to die, end of.

Something unexpected happened. The sound of a speed boat nearby could be heard. It comes closer and closer to my half dead body. It still came closer and closer as if it knew I was here. I still floated like drift wood. The boat came into view from the rain. It was a Chris Craft Stinger 390X sporting the name Cliffjumper. I got to within tens of meters of the me and it then started to circle around me as if were a vulture.

"Over there!" A voice of a young man shouted out over the sounds of the stormy seas and the boats engines. The person at the wheel was teenager Jack Darby wearing a thick orange anorak with the hood up and waterproof trousers. He was desperately trying to keep the boat in check from the wind blowing at it in all directions. He lined the boat up so he was down wind to the floating body.

"Get ready! I can't hold it for long!" He called out to someone else. A oversized hatch taking up most of the main forward deck opened out and out of it came the Autobot, Arcee. She climbed out on deck on her knees and searched the water and saw the floating body. Jack constantly adjusting the throttle and steering to keep the boat still, and was doing a good job. The body came next to the starboard side where Jack could see it. Arcee leaned over the side and reached out. She put a hand around the front of my body and lifted me out. She pulled me onto the deck and straight down the hatch below deck. She closed up the hatch and gave Jack the all clear. Jack turned the boat around and headed away from the scene of the rescue.

Down below Arcee pulled off my soaking wet white shirt, black trousers and black shoes. She got a big towel and dried me down and wrapped me up in a thick blanket and held me close to warm me up.

In the cockpit, Jack endured the wind and rain expertly riding the waves.

"How's he doing?" He shouted the question down below.

"Don't know!" Arcee called back. "He's core temperature is down to twenty three. It's a miracle he's alive at all. Radio base now. We don't have time to get to the arrival coordinates. We need a bridge right now!"

"Ok!" Jack picked up the VHF radio which has been modified.

"Base! This is motorboat Cliffjumper! How do you read?" He shouted into the radio.

_"Motorboat Cliffjumper this is base. We hear you loud and clear_" Came Ratchets voice through the radio.

"We need an emergency ground bridge now!"

_"On it's way. Have you found him?"_

"Yeah we found him alright! But it's not looking good! Arcee told me his temperature is twenty three!"

_"We'll have the medical bay ready. Prepare for recovery. Usual procedure"_

"Ok, copy that. Over and out" Jack replaced the radio and went back to concentrating on driving.

"Arcee! Prepare for recovery! This is going to be an interesting one!" He swung the wheel hard to port to face north with the waves hitting side on. Thirty meters in front the ground bridge portal opened up at water level. Jack lined up and went full speed. If he didn't the wind would blow him off course. The boat was being thrown all over the place. Jack still kept going. The boat went through the swirling wall of light at forty knots.

In the Autobot base Ratchet opened the ground bridge with everyone else keeping well away from it. Even the other Autobots. Ratchet had something at the ready to hold onto in case of a huge torrent of water. The portal opened and water came flooding in, going straight into the drains. The boat Cliffjumper came bursting through sliding along the floor. Ratchet switch off the portal and the current of water stopped. The boat still stood upright. Supporting struts had been built into the hull to protect the propellers for this very situation. Jack switched off the engines. When the water had disappeared enough down the drains the other Autobots came running up to the boat. Optimus opened the hatch and reached in and lifted Arcee out while she had a good hold of me. Elita was the first other Autobot. She was desperate to see if I was alright. She didn't like what she saw. I was lifeless looking, my body cold to the touch and very pale white. I looked dead.

Raff, Miko, June and Fowler went to the medical bay where Arcee carried my body over to. Jacked stayed with the boat, working with Optimus to put it back where it is kept.

Arcee laid my body on a hospital bed. Ratchet and June took over. June immediately checking my vitals. Ratchet connected up the monitors to me. The heart monitor showing a low, weak pulse. My body temperature was twenty three as Arcee said.

June was at a loss. She may have dealt with some hypothermia cases before, but nothing like this. She was out of her depth. She looked to Ratchet for answers. Ratchet thought hard and something clicked in his mind. He went to retrieve something. He came back with what looked like a sleeping bag with arms and legs. Only it was seriously thick and had lines going in it.

"We need to get him into this" He said.

They got me out of the blanket and slid me into this thing. Ratchet connected the lines into ports in the nearby wall and went to a computer and fiddled with it.

"There, that's all we can do for now" He said.

"What did we do Ratchet?" June asked.

"It's a water blanket which will regulate his temperature. Water is heated to a certain amount and is circulated around his body where we can control his core temperature. I've set it to match his temperature for now"

"Why can't we just put him next to a fire to warm up?" Miko enquired.

"Because Miko, if we did that it would kill him"

She looked blankly, utterly confused.

"I had a conversation with Michael before about the effects of hypothermia. He got me rather interested, so I did some research on it. Indeed I found it interesting. I read a study and it said that the human body can survive even when it's core temperature is below twenty degrees Celsius" Everyone looked amazed but still didn't see the point.

"But getting to the point. At this state his body has stopped pumping blood to his limbs and only around the vital organs. His brain activity is down to it's minimum, only the things such as controlling the heart beat and a few other things remain, the rest has stopped. His metabolism is at it's lowest. Basically his body has gone into standby. If we were to warm him up back to thirty seven. Blood would start pumping all around and things would start up again. However his heart won't be able to pick up the pace so quickly. As a result, his heart would overload, causing massive heart failure and he would die" He explained.

"So what do we do?" Raff asked. Elita was about to ask but was beaten to it.

"We will have to warm him up slowly. However too slow and eventually he would die from the prolonged exposer to the cold. Too fast and we risk causing his heart to fail. He will need constant monitoring, and not for one moment should he be left alone" He said.

"I'll stay with him" Elita said.

"I thought you would say that" Ratchet replied. "You do realise that when he wakes up, he won't be allowed to move his arms or legs, as that risks heart failure as well?"

"Yes"

"It would mean you would have to hand feed him"

"Ratchet, that's completely fine with me. I promised his parents that I would care for him as if he was my son" She said.

Ratchet nodded "Ok" He went off to help sort the boat out, there wasn't much else he could do now.

"What do you suppose happened" Arcee asked Elita.

She shook her head. "I don't know. When he last made a video call he said him and the third officer had noticed something strange. He didn't say what though. I could tell he was getting scared. I wished I was there for him" She began to sob.

Bumblebee and Arcee put a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Elita, he's going to be fine. He's been through worse. I know he'll pull through" Arcee said.

Elita shook them off and lowered herself so her chin was resting on the side of my bed. She looked at me in my unconscious state, stroking my hair. "What happened to you?" She whispered and kiss me on the forehead.

She stayed and continued to stroke my hair. Everyone else could sense that Elita wanted some time alone with me so they all quietly shuffled out.

"Why didn't you tell me what was going on?" She sobbed.


	2. Chapter 2

After calling my company and hearing that I could keep my job, so long as I could walk again. I continued living with the Autobots. Elita too had settled in and was getting to know Optimus again. They were so grateful to me about finding her. If I didn't, chances are she'd still be held prisoner by MECH and Arachnid. I never went on missions because quite simply I was in a chair. I would have been a burden on the Autobots in the field. However I stayed at base to help plan and co-ordinate missions. But I still did leave the base time to time. I would go with some of the Autobots on quiet patrols just to get me out for a while, although I couldn't with Arcee for obvious reasons.

Bumblebee practiced his Morse code so much now he has got a distinctive accent in it. And together we manage to come up with a way so that we could identify if it was each of us communicating. Sounds hard to believe put you can have accents with Morse code. It was how a British submarine could tell if a German U-boat was pretending to be British during the second world war. Now we had worked out our accents we can be sure of who it is.

I got to know Bulkhead more and his love for loud music. So I introduced him to a thing called Trance music, at first if didn't get it, but in time he did. Now he listens to it as much as rock. But only when Miko isn't around, because he doesn't want to hurt her feelings, which I can completely understand.

I sometimes went out with Optimus, but I always get this feeling he lets me come because I asked and not because he really wanted me to. On those patrols we normally discussed future missions and other similar topics. It was always business with him.

Ratchet just flatly refused every time. No surprise there. I knew he would say no but I all ways asked because I always wanted to hear his new excuse as to why I shouldn't go. I can't wait for the day when he runs out of them. He'll probably recycle old ones.

Elita always took me on patrol. Even if I didn't feel like going she take advantage of the fact I couldn't walk and would carry me out if she had to. She'd even some days just took me on days out. We would always try and find a better place for a picnic. I loved going on these picnics. I found them very peaceful and relaxing. Something I wasn't all that used to so whenever she suggested it, I never refused.

Our relationship had grown tremendously. She loved me and I loved her. She had become a mother to me and I felt really close to her. For the time where I was tired all the time she'd regularly let me sleep in her arms or on her lap. She'd had taken great care of me.

My life had become wonderful. I could now live it like a normal person. I could wake up and not fear if I was going to die everyday.

June once a week drove me to the hospital to see this therapist who helped me come to terms with my paralysis. Then just over a month down the line since that phone call, I went to another session and we had being trying to see if there was hope of walking again. So out of all things the therapist got a pointer thing and tried to tickle me under my foot with it. At first there was nothing but then I felt something. At first I couldn't tell if my mind was playing tricks on me, but it became apparent that I could feel it tickling my foot and it then twitched. I tried to move it and I could. We spent the rest of the session just trying to move my legs and try some exercises.

I came back the next day and we had two poles for me to hold myself up as I tried to walk. June stayed for this session. She witnessed me take my first steps again. They were small, but steps alright. I was so excited I forgot to hold onto the poles and fell over. But it was alright I didn't do any damage.

So when we got back I told everyone I had managed to take a few steps. Everyone was extremely pleased, even Optimus cracked a small smile. They all knew it meant I could now be in with a real chance of working again. Elita picked me up and she kissed me and cuddled me for ages at the news. We had started to all believe that I would never walk again.

So for the next few days I went back to the hospital to continue to make more little steps. Until I could make them without the use of the poles.

Back at base Elita carried on to help me walk again. It had been a while so I had to learn all over again. I had to think about putting one foot in front of the other. My balance wasn't so good so she held my hands, one in each of her giant hands. As I tried to walk forward she would be in front of me crouched stepping backwards. I was walking around like a toddler who had just learned to walk for the first time. Crazy to think that not long ago I could free walk, jumping from heights and over things avoiding having to slow down, to being only being barely able to walk with my hands having to be hold. But over the next week or so, I was starting to walk more like normal.

I called my company saying I could walk again and within a week I was preparing to fly back to the UK for my medical certificate to allow me to work at sea. Elita didn't take it well when I got in Junes car to take me to the airport. She cried by herself for awhile because I was going away for a week. I was taking this opportunity to see some friends while back there. I went to see the doctor in Cardiff and after an extensive one and a half hours later, I was issued with my new ENG1 certificate. I could now go back to sea once again. I spent the rest of my trip catching up with people. Most of the time getting smashed in pubs. I wasn't quite ready for night clubs just yet. One of my mates drove me back to Heathrow and I was back on the night time flight to Las Vegas. June picked me up at the airport and drove all the way back home. I couldn't sleep on the flight so I was very tired. Probably shouldn't have drunk so much coffee at Heathrow.

Elita was so happy to see me again. I receive a huge cuddle and kisses from her. It was late at night when I returned so June didn't stay long. When she left I wanted to sleep so Elita let me sleep in her arms that night.

So what happened to me afterwards? Why was I almost floating dead in the Atlantic? I'll tell you. It all started about a month and a half before. It was in the morning one day and my desk phone rang.

"Rickers" I answered.

_"Hello it's Seawave Maritime Agencies calling_" Said a woman's voice.

"Ah, hello"

_"Calling to give you your orders to join ship. You will receive an email any moment now"_ She said.

"Thank you"

_"Bye now"_ She hung up on her end. I switched on my laptop and let it start up.

"Elita!" I called to her who was busy with the base main computer. She came over. "Just had a call from Seawave, they've given me joining instructions" I told her.

"That's wonderful. Where are you going?" She asked.

"One moment" I logged into my email and printed it off before reading it. I waited for the paper to come out of the printer.

I read it out loud. "It say's._ Dear Mr Rickers, please see below all your documentation for joining the CSV Nevada Highway in Zebrugge, Belgium on the 20th of October. Where you will serve a contract of two months. Also see below your flight details and your letter of guarantee. Your sincerely Seawave Maritime Agencies training department"_

I read the other documentation and it was all in order. I looked at my flight details. It was two flights. Las Vegas to Amsterdam Schiphol, and then onto Brussels. Both with KLM.

"KLM, yes!" I said triumphantly.

"KLM? Is this good?" Elita asked.

"KLM is Royal Dutch Airlines. They are the best with seafarers. Flown with them before and they inflight meals are just the best. And there customer care is second to none in my opinion" I told her.

"And it's got nothing to do with air hostesses?" She asked. She has learnt a few things about me since we met.

"Oh, of course not. You do you think I am?" I said.

"You're a seafarer Michael. Seafarers have a reputation"

"Oh what's that suppose to mean?" I protested. She didn't say. But knew what she was thinking.

I told the other Autobots that I was going on the 20th. They were all pleased to hear it, and so were the kids when they got back from school. We all together search up the CSV Nevada Highway on the internet. All getting a laugh at the coincidence of the name. It was a car carrier. Smaller than my last ship, but it was younger. Built in 2007. Top half was white, bottom half black with a red funnel on the port quarter. It looked like a floating black and white brick.

We checked the shipping lines website. There's three companies involved. The owner, the charterer, and the manager. My company is the manager, they run the ship, crew wise and manage all the paperwork for customs. Also they arrange the port agents who are given a fee to sort out the pilots, getting a berth at the port and getting supplies to the ship.

Then there's the ship owner, not difficult to know what they do.

And last there is the charterer, they hire the ship from the owner and it's they who decide where the ship goes. They're the shipping line. They pay the owner who in turn pays the manager there fee and then they pay me.

If you think that shipping is still a family run business then you are greatly mistaken. There are so many businesses involved in shipping it's almost unbelievable. There is so much money in the industry, as a result I get a very healthy salary. So when I couldn't walk with the threat of loosing my career over my head I was setting myself up to the prospect of never earning as much as I could potentially, given my past.

So we discovered where I would be going. I was boarding in Belgium, then a short stop in La Havre, France. Then a transit across the North Atlantic down to Panama, through the canal and stopping once in Peru then two stops in Chile. Then a non-stop back up to Sweden and back to Belgium where it would have been two months, so that's where I would sign off. Simple.

Annoyingly it meant I had to pack for all climates. I had one week to prepare for two months.

The next day I was in my Jaguar XFR driving on the highway to Salt Lake City in Colorado to do some shopping. Jasper wouldn't have what I needed. I went by myself as I was a little cautious about what happened last time. I bought some t-shirts, regular shirts, some outdoor trousers, shorts and walking shoes. It was enough to get me by. I learnt from the previous ship that during my rest hours I sometimes got seriously bored. And because I wasn't going with another cadet I thought I would buy something. I went to a games store and bought a PSP and some shooter and driving games with it. That's should keep me entertained. I also bought an e-book reader. I dumped it in the boot of the car and had an early lunch in a restaurant.

As I was eating I noticed a green saloon car was constantly circling the block. Must have been keeping an eye on me. I finished my meal, left the money on the table and left. I bought a newspaper from a vending machine. Still getting used to that. Back home in Britain you always got it from a newsagent. I didn't care which one, to me there were all too right wing for my liking, just as long it was a national. I went across the street and into a park. Sat on a bench and read the paper. I was doing this so I could watch who was watching me. I looked over the paper and roughly a fifty yards across some patch of grass was another man who had just sat down and did the exact same thing as me. He read the paper while not reading it. He was watching me. This guy was stupid. He was dressed up all wrong. He wore a suit with an over coat matching it. He looked like a business man. This was a stupid mistake. It was just coming to midday, it was still morning. And for most people it isn't lunch time yet. So why would a business man be doing sitting in a park reading a paper when he should be back in the office.

Easy, he was keeping an eye on me. He stuck out like a saw thumb. But he wasn't doing anything so I read the paper.

On the international section there was an article about MI5 yet again loosing classified documents and people were questioning whether the security services could be trusted to do their job. I just hoped none of it was to do with me. I closed it up and put it in my inside pocket of my suede leather jacket where also was my trusty seaman's knife and my side arm the Glock 17. I had a few more accessories to go with it. This case being a silencer. I got up from the park bench and headed back onto the street.

I went around the corner. I saw a mirror so I went to retie my shoe laces while looking at the mirror and sure enough came this guy. I got up and continued down the street. I rounded into and alleyway and hid behind a dumpster. I heard him come down slowly. He knew I knew he was there. I pulled out my gun pointing it down. He walk past right by me and didn't see me. I stepped out and pulled back on the slide. He stopped and put his hands in the air.

"Show me your gun, slowly" I told him. His right hand went down.

"Ah, ah. Other hand" I said. His right hand went up and his left hand came down. He reached into his inside coat pocket and with some difficulty pulled out his gun holding it upside down by the end of the grip so he couldn't pull it on me faster than it would take me to fire. It was a Walther PPK, good sturdy hand gun, old but reliable. It too was silenced.

"Drop it" I told him. He threw it away.

I approached him, his back still to me. I punched him in the back, hard. He fell right over. He turned over and sat on the floor staring up the barrel of my gun. He scooted backwards into a closed metal wire fence. I stepped towards him holding a face of slight anger. He was scared.

"Who sent you?" He didn't answer.

"I'll ask again. Who sent you?" Again he didn't answer. He was doing ok so far. Don't say anything because they can turn what you say against you is what I was taught.

"Who?" I asked more sternly. Again he remained quiet. I fired a shot right next to his head. He flinched.

"Who!"

"The Russians!" He shouted. His accent was American, most likely an asset of the FSB over here.

"Why? To kill me?" I asked.

"No"

"Then why?" He didn't reply. I shot again near to his head.

"Ok! Ok! Were suppose to track you to where your hiding. Then we would attack at a later date" He said stuttering, struggling to say it.

"How did you find me?" I pointed my gun even closer to head.

"You appeared on CCTV he have access to. We saw you enter the city"

"How many more are there?"

"Just two others"

"All in radio contact?" He nodded. "Good"

I shot him in both feet three times each. He screamed out in pain. I pulled out the ear piece of his and listened. I heard his team mates asking if he was alright.

I pulled off his watch and spoke into it. "Is this the best you've got. Tell your bosses to stop bothering. You can't catch me. Also if I was you I'd run because I won't be so nice to you. And don't bother trying to help your friend. He be looked after by the CIA" I dropped the watch and stamped on it and walked away leaving him there. I put the safety on and stowed the gun away.

I went back onto the street and made a call on a payphone.

_"911 what's the emergency?"_

"There's a man who has been shot in an alleyway off 4th Street near the park"

_"Can I ask your name please?"_

I paused "Alleyway off 4th street, near the park" I hung up.

I walked back to the Jag which was parked up a few blocks away. I took out my phone and called Fowler.

_"Michael. How you doing?_" He answered.

"Doing well. You need to call Langley get them to check for anyone who has been admitted into a hospital in Salt Lake City for being shot three times in both feet. That person is FSB" I said.

_"What have you done?"_ He asked like I was joking.

"I'll explain later. Swing by my place later" I said. I wasn't saying 'Autobot base' as I knew the Decepticons would intercept it.

Soon I was on the road again heading back home.


	3. Chapter 3

I arrived back at base and Fowler was there. He looked angry at me. I continued on as if nothing had happened. The kids and June were present as well along with all the Autobots.

"Hey everyone. I'm back" I announced. I got my shopping from the boot and brought it up the steps. Set it down somewhere and switched on the TV. The local news came on.

_"On the top stories today a man was found shot multiple times in an alleyway in Salt Lake City around noon today. Police say they have at the moment no leads so far. The man is currently in hospital receiving treatment for his injuries but they don't appear to be life threatening. Police have urged the public for information and to remain calm as they believe this wasn't an act of random violence or gang culture. On other news today-"_ Fowler switched it off.

"Terrible what's happening in the world today" I said as if I was just commenting on the news like normal.

"What the hell did you do?" He asked.

Obviously he hadn't told anyone as they all seemed perplexed.

"Tell me Fowler. What did I do?" I asked.

"That" He pointed at the TV. Everyone was shocked.

"You shot that man?" June asked instinctively putting herself between me and the kids.

I stood up and slowly walked to Fowler pointing at him. "I'll tell you what I was doing Special Agent Fowler" I stood right in front of him. He looked up and I stared down angrily.

"I was doing your job. Because you bastards at the taskforce couldn't keep a lid on the Russians" I shoved him making him take a step back.

"You should have told us and let the professionals handle it" My face scrunched up hard. I grabbed him by the shoulders and hurled him into a group of filing cabinets. He crashed into them and they fell over with him on top.

"YOU THINK I'M AN FUCKING AMATEUR!" I shouted at him. "You fucking bastard! If your buddies got off there arses once in a while, I would have to be shooting Russian operatives in alleyways! And thanks to me, your friends at Langley now have another FSB agent who was working in the States. So don't go down that road!" I snarled. I kicked one of the fallen filing cabinets and walked away down the stairs and down a corridor.

"You ok?" June asked Fowler. Helping him to his feet.

"Remind me to never get on his bad side" He said. Dusting himself down.

"What did we just see?" Jack asked to nobody in particular.

"Agent Fowler" Elita started. She to looked down at him angrily. "Michael has been doing this sort of thing for awhile now and probably has more combat experience than most people within the taskforce. He doesn't take it lightly when you accuse him of inexperience. Also you went way to hard on him. He did what had to do. Now if you will excuse me, I've got to check that he's alright" And she chased after me down the corridor.

I found some old filing cabinet in a pile of junk in a corridor so I vented my anger at it. I was punching, kicking and throwing it around make one hell of a racket. It didn't take long for Elita to find me.

"Hey, hey Michael put that down" She told me as I had a cabinet held above my head ready to throw. I just dropped it in front of me.

"Take some deep breaths and calm down" She said and I did that.

I sat down of the floor with my back to a wall and she sat beside me.

"Now, do you want to tell me what that was all about?" She asked.

I was trying to think what to say, or how to say it. I sighed. "What he said just pissed me off, that's all"

"Did you really have to do that?" She asked.

"No, but I did anyway. Not having some fucking yank telling me I'm not good at this sort of business. I've probably done a hell of lot more than him" I spat.

"Don't let it get to you. He just doesn't understand that's all" She calmly said.

"There's a lot of people that don't understand me" I took another deep breath. "I thought it would be over now. I wanted to believe they would finally let me go. But now it's seems I can't have a normal life. I hate my life sometimes"

"Don't be like that. You have me now" She picked me up off the floor and held me with my head on her shoulder.

"I want you to close your eyes and try not to think about the bad things. Think about all the amazing things you have done which most people could never do" I rested the side of my head on her shoulder and did just that. After a few minutes, I had calmed down again and was feeling better.

The comfort of being in her arms was peaceful so I just stayed there for a while in silence. After awhile she put me back on the floor and we both walked back to the control room.

Everyone could clearly see that I had calmed down. I approached Fowler with a hand extended. "Look I'm sorry about all that. You just touched a nerve a bit"

"I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have said that. Your very good at what you do" We shook hands.

"Now here's a question. How the hell did they know I was going to be in Salt Lake City? Because I know they don't have an operation there as there nothing there to spy on. They must have known I wasn't too far from the city somehow" I said.

"We're not too sure either. But we're working on it"

I noticed the kids were keeping there distance from me. "Hey, it's alright. I'm not going to throw you into filing cabinets" They still didn't relax so I went over to the TV and switched on the news. It was Fox news.

"Oh shit, not the fascists" I switched over until I got the BBC News channel.

_"-So after 40 years of tyranny under the brutal oppression by Gaddafi, the national transitional council is finally getting towards lasting peace and everyone is getting behind it in that hope. This is John Simpson for BBC News, from Tripoli._

_In other news today, it has been revealed that the security services have lost classified documents. It isn't confirmed but it is believed that a transport was ambushed and more than ten thousand documents have been taken. The government has assured people that this isn't a threat to national security. However in the commons today MP's have been grilling the Home Secretary for answers. Some asking whether the cut's by the Chancellor he has imposed on the Home office budget might have been one on the underlying reason to the loss of these documents. Others questioning his ability to take control. The Home Secretary assured the house that the security services ability to combat the ever increasing threat of terrorism while cutting back was achievable and that he was in total control over the situation. He made promises that those who were responsible for the taken of the documents would be apprehended and made to face justice. Also today the markets have once again seen a dramatic-"_ I switch the TV off.

"Bloody hell" I said. "Ten thousand. Fuck"

"Any idea who might have done this?" Miko asked.

"Is there life on Mars?"

"This is bad right?" Jack asked.

"Very. Many agents are possibly compromised from not just Britain but any other NATO member state. I could be compromised for all I know" I said.

"Jeez" Jack realising the full implications.

"Yeah, it's that bad"

"What do you want to do about it?" He asked.

"Nothing"

"What?"

"Well what can I do? Tell me?" He had no answer for my question. "Exactly"

We all went silent as no one knew what to say.

"Anyone want to go on patrol?" I asked.

"Sure I will" Arcee said. "Jack you want to come?"

"Ok" He said shrugging.

"I'll get by my bike ready" I said.

"I'll come too" Elita said.

"I'd knew you'd say that" I said. I went down the stairs and went over to my Suzuki Intruder LC 125. I put on my leathers and Silver helmet. Arcee transformed into her motorbike form and Jack saddled up putting on his helmet. Elita transformed into her vehicle mode as a light pink Honda S2000 hard top convertible.

They were waiting for me. I tried the battery starter but I got nothing.

"Battery must be flat, hang on" I haven't used the bike in awhile. I put the choke on and used the kick start. It got going. I turned the choke off and revved the engine getting it to warm up. I selected first and off with the clutch and I was off. We all headed out of the tunnel to the side of the mountain and soon we were on the road. Arcee took lead. I followed alongside her and Elita drove behind us. We hit a nice long stretch of road in the warm Nevada sun. The skies were clear, it was a great day to go for a ride.

"Anyone know a suitable song" I said over the com-link.

_"I know one"_ Elita said. And the track 'The Island' by Pendulum played through the com-link. We all drove along the dusty road in the desert to this track.

A few hours later we returned. I felt great. It had been awhile since I last rode it, so it was good to be on it again. When we got back Raff and Miko had gone home with their guardians staying with them for the night. With the news of this security breach, we weren't taking any chances. Fowler was long gone and only June remained.

"How was your patrol?" She asked.

"Brill, good to on the bike once again" I said. The others just shrugged.

"Would you like to come over for dinner tonight?" She asked.

"Sure why not"

June drove Jack and I to there house. Arcee and Elita came with us as well. Again because of the security risk. They parked themselves in the garage. I had been to there house before, but it was only a flying visit and it didn't really get a good look around. But I didn't want to feel I was prying so I kept myself to where visitors would keep themselves. I sat down on the sofa and watched some TV with Jack while June was cooking in the kitchen. She had got change from her usual attire to a pair of tight jeans and a light blue short sleeve blouse. I soon got bored of the programme we were watching but Jack seemed to enjoy it so I left him to it.

I walked into the kitchen to see how June was doing. She seemed busy so I helped her get this and that, especially from high shelves she had trouble reaching. But it wasn't a problem with my height. So I reached things down for her. Soon she had this beef curry nearly ready and it smelt good. I quickly made the rice as she had her hands full.

"Does Jack ever help out with cooking?" I asked.

"Very occasionally he does, but I have to ask a number of times before he does anything" She said. I shook my head.

Soon we were around the table just behind the sofa in the living room. June had a bottle of red wine of the table. Chilean from 2005. I don't know much about wine but I knew it was a good one and it went well with the curry. Jack had no such appetites for wine so he stuck to soft drinks.

"So Michael" June started. "You looking forward to going back to sea?"

"Hell yeah, it's what I like to do"

"And you hope things will go better on this ship?"

"Well I'm hoping we won't have a massive fire causing the ship to sink if that's what you mean?"

"Well… yeah"

"It'll be fine this time. And it's a car carrier. I've also been quite interested by them"

"Why?"

"I don't really know why. Maybe because the only type of ship that comes up the Bristol channel are car carriers so that was I used to see all the time when I was living in Cardiff. Apart from that I have no idea, maybe because they look so strange"

"I think it's those two reasons"

"Probably"

June drank some wine. "While your down in Chile maybe you could gets some more of this" She picked up the bottle.

"Well in that case I'll get some from France as well" We laughed.

We finished our dinner chatting away. Soon Jack went to bed as he had school in the morning. June and I sat on the sofa drinking more wine watching a James Bond film with her resting her head on my shoulder. It became clear that June didn't drink often.

"You know your like him" She said poking my chest.

"Yeah?"

"Of course. Your like a spy. Your also clever"

"I suppose seeing it that way"

"And your also so big and strong" She laid on my chest looking at my face with lust. It was starting to unsettle me a bit.

"And you are also so extremely handsome" She moved up to kiss me. I held her head gently and stopped her.

"Your drunk"

"And your sexy" She said.

"How many glasses did you have?"

"Oh I don't know… five?"

"You need some rest" I said.

"Aww, can't I get one kiss from James Bond?" She gave me a puppy eyed look.

"Oh for god sake" I said. I sighed. "Fine. Come here" With my hands I guided her lips to my lips and I gave her a big snog. She went really at it. Her tongue going right in. It caught me by surprise. I wasn't thinking she'd go that far. So I fought back. She was stronger than most people but I quickly regained dominance. I didn't like to do this but if it was going to shut her up, then so be it.

She was really enjoying it. Annoyingly she kept on going. But soon she came out, satisfied. She looked at me hungrily. I didn't like this. She got up then she straddled my hips and started to unbutton her blouse. My eyes went wide eyed. I was shocked on the highest level. She gave me a sexy smile. I quickly looked around to make sure nobody was looking, especially Jack. I looked back at her and she had her blouse off and she was now straddling me wearing tight jeans and a black bra. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her to my chest.

"Hey, what's the matter?" She asked in a drunk way.

"Way to fast" I tried to think of something to make her just accept it. "It's only our first date"

"Oh, fair enough then. But instead how about this" She got up again and undid my shirt exposing my massive chest. She licked her lips. "You have no idea how much I wanted to do this. Your every woman's dream" She purred. She leaned in and started to kiss my chest and lick it and snog it. I don't know why but I just let her do it. Maybe because I knew she'd probably hadn't been with another man since her husband left. And it was possible she wouldn't be able to do this ever again. She moved up and started nipping my neck and pecking all over my face and back down to my chest. Over time I was finding it strangely arousing but I didn't act upon it. I kept my self-control. Soon she became tired and slowly drifted away, falling asleep draped over my chest. I put my arms over her so to keep her warm and to stop her from falling off me during the night. Soon I grew tired and went to sleep.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning I woke up as the sun burst through between the curtain. June was still asleep across my bare chest. The sun was shining on her eyes and she started to stir. Her eyes opened and squinted because of the light. I shifted slightly so her eyes weren't in the direct sun light. She was startled by that. Then she notice she was lying across my chest. She looked at me with deep confusion.

"Morning" I said. She sat up and noticed my shirt was undone. She looked down at herself and suddenly tried to cover herself up.

"What happened last night?" She was putting two and two together, but coming up with five. Her eyes open to their widest. "Oh god. Please don't tell me we-"

"No. You only snogged me all over like I was an addictive drug. Nothing else. You had way too many last night" I chuckled.

"I remember kissing you at first then the rest is blank" She said.

She got off me and put her blouse back on. I buttoned my shirt and stood up.

"Breakfast?" I offered.

"Please" I went into the kitchen and made us some eggs and coffee. I heard Jack get up. Most likely due to the smell, so I made him some as well.

We all sat at the table and ate in silence. Jack could guess why I was wearing the same thing as last night but couldn't understand why his mum was too. But I could tell he wasn't trying to read too much into it.

Soon Jack was off with Arcee to school. I still remained for a short while. June clearly needing to talk to me without him around.

We were in the kitchen and drinking some coffee. She clearly needed it as she looked like she had a few too many last night and she was working this afternoon. "I just want to say, I'm sorry about what happened last night" She said.

"Hey it's alright. You had a few too much. We all do regrettable things when we're drunk. I should know. You wouldn't believe half the stuff I did" I chuckled to myself.

"Still, I shouldn't have done what I did" She said with conviction. From the way she sounded I could tell there was something she wasn't telling me. I thought about what is was. It clicked.

"Has been hard since Jack's father left?" She quickly looked up at me wondering how I knew. "I pick up on things quick"

She hesitated. "Your right. It has been hard. I've spent so long raising Jack and looking after him and I've had no one to look after me"

I felt very sympathetic. I put my mug down and stepped right in front of her. She craned her neck up to look at me. I looked down on her. For that moment she looked so small and fragile. I put my huge arms around her small figure and I held her close. She rested her head on my chest and she started crying. We stayed like that for a while. In time the tears stopped and she wanted out of my arms. I let her go and stepped back.

"Thank you Michael. I needed that" She wiped her eyes dry.

"That's ok" I leaned down to her and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. She blushed.

"Well, I've got to go now. Will you be ok?" I asked.

"I'll be fine" I nodded in understanding.

I went into the garage where Elita was parked up for the night. She didn't respond to me coming into the garage.

I kept quiet for a moment. Nothing. I crept to the driver's door and opened it and slowly got into the seat. I slowly closed the door making at least noise as possible. She didn't respond. I had this feeling she was recharging.

"Morning!" I yelled. The car shook violently and the starter motor whirred.

"AHHH!" She shouted. "What the… Michael what was that about?"

"Sorry, couldn't resist" I held my hands up laughing.

"It's not funny" She whined.

"It is"

"Whatever" She sounded slightly miffed. She reversed out the garage onto the driveway and back out onto the road and drove in the direction of the base.

We were driving along when she said. "So what happen between you and June last night?"

I looked at the dash board in shock. "N-Nothing happened"

"Hm. So what was this nothing. Both your body temperatures increased at the same time and you were extremely close to each other"

"Look she had a few to many last night, that's all"

"All?"

I looked out of the window trying to avoid the question.

"What else?" She asked.

"Fine, seeing as you want to know so much. June made a pass at me. She had too many glasses"

She remained silent.

"I didn't do anything. And for god sake don't tell anyone. Especially Miko" I warned.

"Your secret's safe with me" She said.

We drove on in silence.

We had returned to base and it was now sometime around ten in the evening. I had spent most of the day slowly starting to put my things together to pack for my two month trip. So far just some of the clothes I had bought in Salt Lake City. I sat down to have a Chinese dish I had cooked and was watching my favourite TV show, Spooks or as it's called MI5 in the US. It was the last series and I was saddened by this. It had been going for ten years and it had always been a brilliant series. Sometimes one or two of the Autobots would watch it with me.

Everything was quiet until a call came through to the base. June was calling. Ratchet answered it. "Hello Mrs Darby"

_"Hello Ratchet"_ She said shakily. She was scarred. We all could tell.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

_"I was about to leave work and I noticed this man was following me. I went back into the hospital but he's just waiting outside. I think his stalking me"_ She said nervously.

"June, Michael here. Do you want me to come for you?" I asked.

_"Yes. Please hurry"_

"I will. I want you to stay in the reception area and where you can been seen by those you know" I instructed her.

_"Ok. I'll be at the reception desk and stay with the receptionist"_

"Good. I'll be there shortly. Just try to remain calm"

_"See you soon. Please hurry"_ She hung up.

I looked at the Autobots. "Anyone about to go on patrol?" I asked.

"I am" Said Optimus.

"Could you give me a lift to the hospital. I'll escort her to her car and stay with her and Jack for the night" I told him.

He nodded once. I went to my desk and got my jacket and loaded it with my knife and side arm. Can't be too careful.

Optimus transformed into his vehicle mode. I got in and he drove out of the base. Soon we were on the road. Optimus going as fast as he dared on the desert road, slowing down when we hit the outskirts of the town.

Soon we reached the car park entrance to the hospital.

"Here will do" He stopped at the side of the road. I got out. Shut the door and patted the door twice. He drove off to go on his patrol. Soon he was gone. I walked to the entrance into reception. It was quiet. I few people on the seats in the waiting area. Waiting to be seen for a whole multitude of injuries. It being night so most were under twenty five unsurprisingly. I approached the desk and a receptionist looked up from her seat.

"Yes sir, how can I help?"

"Is nurse Darby here? She's expecting me"

"What's your name?"

"The names Rickers"

She looked at me hard, trying to see if I was lying.

"Come through with me" She got up, she was a short person. She lead me into a back office where June was sitting in a chair, looking frightened. She saw me come in and she got up and dived at me. She held on to me tight. I put my arms around her and held her tightly as well.

"You ok?" I asked gently.

"Now you're here, yes" She stepped back.

"Where's your car?" I asked.

"Few blocks down the road. I couldn't get a space in the parking lot when I got here"

"Ok. I'll walk you to your car and we will go back to your place and I will stay the night. Is that ok with you?"

"Yes" She sounded relieved.

"Come on, lets go" We walked out of the office and back into the waiting area with the few young idiots who did stupid things that landed them here.

We walked out of the doors into the night.

"Can you see him?"

She looked around. "No"

I offered my arm. "Put your arm in mine" She didn't question why and just did. She held on close to me. We walked out of the car park and along the deserted streets. We walked the first block. Nothing. We crossed the junction.

"You feel safe now?" I asked.

"I do now" She rested her head on my arm. She was a little too short to rest it on my shoulder. We continued walking. We crossed the second junction and onto the next block.

"Hey, beautiful" A man's voice said. June instantly froze. We both turned around behind us. There was a group of men. All looking at June. In the way they were looking at her I knew what their intentions were. I put myself in front of her and stare down the men. They didn't back off. They all slowly moved forward. I took a step back. June did as well. I was looking back at June then back at the men. There were eight of them. They kept moving forward gaining speed slowly. Only one cause of action right now. I couldn't hold them off in this situation. There were too many angles. I needed to find a place where I could engage them but still keep myself between them and June to keep her safe. So I quickly darted my vision around the area. I found it. I turned right round to face June and I reached down and picked her up and bolted it. They chased us. I picked her up because I could outpace them, where as she couldn't. I ran down an alley. It was a dead end. I set her back down and she backed up right against the wall. She was whimpering. She knew what they wanted.

If I couldn't hold them off, they were going to rape her. I wasn't going to let that happen.

The lead guy came up to me. He didn't care for my massive size. It usually puts most people off from trying it on with me. A physiological front. He stepped right in front of me. I stood with my feet shoulder width apart with my hands on my hips and just trying to make myself look as big as possible. He didn't have a moment of pause. He was actually stupid enough to try and intimidate me.

"You must be the protective boyfriend. Well sorry to say but were having her and there's nothing you can do about it"

I didn't respond. Treat this situation in the way I was trained to. I stood my guard.

"Oh, being the big man. You don't scare me" He said, almost whispered. "You can't take us all on, you don't scare us" He continued more loudly. I could hear June fearing for her life.

"So you're not scare of me? You really should be" He heard my British accent, and became a little confused. But quickly took his earlier stance. It was pointless. I grabbed both the parts of the front of this black leather jacket and with all the new gained strength in my right arm I lifted him off his feet and I held him high with my arm out stretched. I was now a very strong man. He kicked his feet around and swung his arms about.

"You picked the wrong person to fight against, and now you will suffer" I threw him as hard as I could to my left sending him flying into a brick wall. His head cracked and he went out cold. All the others saw this and still thought they could all take me.

The second guy ran at me. I gave him one hell of an underarm punch to the stomach he flew backwards into the others. Two came at me. I made a big long swing with my right arm and my fist smashed into the first guy's head which careered into the others head with my fist still going. They too went out cold. The other four looked at me. I stood back up straight. And took a step back so June was right behind me. She was curled into a protective ball right behind my legs. I clenched my fists and snarled at the rest of them. They decided to run. They knew now they couldn't get past me. They bolted it the way they came and soon the danger had past. I turned around and bent down. June was scared to death. She was violently shaking. I put my hand on her back. She popped her head out and saw it was me. She was still frozen with fear.

I had to get her to safety before they changed their minds. So I got a hold of her and lifted her up in bridal fashion. She put her arms around my neck and held on close. I walked out of the alley and back onto the street towards her car.

Soon we reached the car. She handed me the keys. While still holding her in my arms I unlocked it and opened the passenger door. I lowered her into it and closed the door and got in from the driver's side door. I started the car up and pulled away.

On the drive back to her home. She leaned over and wrapped herself around my arm. I lifted it up and she lean into my side with my arm coming over her. She needed to feel safe.

"Thank you for saving me" She whispered.

I gave her a gentle squeeze. She snuggled up to my side.

"No need to thank me" I said.

We arrived at her home. I parked the car on the driveway. The garage was open and Arcee was parked up in it. I got out of the car.

"Michael?" Arcee saw me and was confused.

I walked around to the other door and opened it. June just sat there. She was still shaken up by the event that took place. I reached in and lifted her out. Again holding her bridal fashion. I used my knee to close the door and I managed to lock the car. I carried her into the house through the garage.

"I'll explain later Arcee" I told her.

I carried her inside. Jack was there.

"Mum!" He was panicking.

"It's ok Jack, everything's fine. Just ran into a little problem" I smiled to reassure him. He visibly calmed down. I carried June to her room and set her on the bed. She was still frightened by it all. I put the sheets over her and sat on the side of the bed.

"You ok?"

"Fine, thank you" She managed.

"I'll stay awake on guard tonight. You can rest easy. Your well protected. You got me here and also Arcee's here as well. So your quite alright"

She nodded.

"Try to get some sleep" I got off from the bed and left the room closing the door behind me. I went back to the living room. Jack was watching TV. I looked at my watch, it was ten to eleven.

"Hey Jack don't you have school in the morning?" I asked while actually saying something else instead.

"Oh, come on" He protested. I couldn't be bothered.

"Well if your late getting up then by all means get woken up by a mini earthquake" I left and went into the garage.

"Alright Arcee?" I greeted. She was in her vehicle mode. The doors were open so I closed it. She then transformed. She sat down leaning on the back wall.

"So what happened?" She asked.

"She called the base saying she had someone stalking her, so I went to escort her here. We were jumped my some men. Either they wanted to mug us or rape June I don't know for sure, maybe both. Anyway I dealt with them easily, eight of them. I knocked four out the others ran. Then I brought June back here" I explained.

"Well at least she's safe now"

"Yeah, I told her I would stay the night. In case they know where to look. I don't think you'd be all that pleased to break your cover over the sake of petty thugs" I said.

"Michael, I swore to protect them. And I will, no matter the threat" She paused. "You are right. I wouldn't have been pleased"

"Well tonight you've got me around. Together we'll keep the bad guys away. You, the Cybertronian kind. Me, the human kind"

"You armed?" She asked.

I opened up my jacket for her to see the gun and knife. "As always".

We heard the TV suddenly get louder. I could hear the sounds of gunfire and explosions. We both looked through the door Jack was watching an action film. We both shook our heads.

"Can you deal with him please, I'm sick of always asking him to go to bed on school nights" She asked.

"Yes ma'am" I saluted in a casual way.

I walked in and stood behind the sofa looking at the screen.

"Absolutely stupid I wouldn't storm a building like that on my own" I said. Jack turned around to look at me.

"Do I have to say it?"

He sighed. Turned off the TV and got up going to bed. I made sure he had gone into his room then I checked the front and back doors. Both locked. I checked the windows. All closed. The house was secure. I left the lights on in the kitchen and the living room. It was to make the house look like people were still awake. Most people only leave one room lit, but having at least two makes it look more convincing.

I went back to the garage.

"Looks like I'm on guard duty with you then?" I commented.

She simply nodded. We fell silent.

"Well I have to stay up all night so" I pulled out my phone and ordered a pizza for delivery. Large meat feast with a large bottle of coke.

"Arcee, could you just make sure that I'm still paying attention around four in the morning?"

"Why?"

"Because that's the most likely time for an attack"

"How do you know that?" She realised her mistake. "Why did I ask?"

"Yeah, anyway. It's at four in the morning people levels of alertness are at their lowest. So that's the best time to attack, while the enemy is sluggish to respond"

"You used this knowledge before?"

"Yeah. Let me tell you something from my past"

She nodded. "Ok"

"Right. Well, I was sixteen and I had refused to join the royal navy, as you know" She nodded. "As a result I had a massive falling out with Baines and I decided to run away for a while. It was probably one of the most stupid mistake of my life"

"Why's that?" She asked.

"What happened was I went mountaineering up in the Brecon Beacons, which is roughly fifty miles north of Cardiff. I'd kitted myself out with everything to go on for a few days. I had a massive back pack with a tent and everything else"

"What happened?"

"I got tracked down by the Argentinians. They got Intel that I was roaming the Beacons so they sent an elite special forces group to capture me. Didn't take me long to find out they were on to me. I couldn't call for help as they was no mobile phone signal around. When they first had a visual on me they fired machine guns. Luckily they were a good mile away so there aim was rubbish. But it was enough to scare the shit out of me"

"So what did you do?"

"That's the good bit" I grinned. "After being chased all over the place for two days, my supplies were almost gone and there was nowhere for miles, where I could get more. I set up camp putting a good distance from them and waited. Night came so I left my camp and doubled back. Sure enough I found them too camped up. I waited till it was around four in the morning. The guy on watch was feeling sleepy, not at this best. I crept up on him and… well I'm just going to say I neutralised him. Then I took his gun and sorted the others out and then got the hell out of there. Since then the Argentinians have wanted me dead"

"You took out and elite special forces group, all by yourself when you were Jacks age?" She sounded like she didn't believe me.

"Yeah. If you want I could show you the evidence of it?"

"Oh, no that's fine. There's one thing I haven't asked you yet" She said

"Fire away"

"Where did you learn to fight? I take it, it wasn't by football related violence?"

"Yeah your right. When it became clear that I was going to have to defend myself. Baines used his many resourceful contacts and got in touch with a sergeant in the SBS, the special boat service. And I was put through an intensive training course by them. It's from that training and the experience I have, is what makes me the fighter that I am. As you can see it has paid off"

"How long was the training?"

"Seven months. All day, every day. I hated it at first but I soon got to enjoy it. Guys were great. Completely serious when they had to be but when they weren't… well they certainly knew how to have a good time" I grinned.

Later on I stayed with Arcee in the garage chatting away, being quiet so not to disturb June and Jack. A knocking was heard on the front door. We both looked in its direction. I pulled out my gun at the ready. I motioned to Arcee to be quiet. She transformed back into vehicle mode. I slowly approached the door aiming at it. The knocking returned. I unlocked it and with my gun hidden behind the door I opened it. It was the pizza delivery man. I put my gun in my pocket without him seeing it and came into full view. I paid the guy and took the pizza and coke from him. He left and I locked the door again. I went back to the garage.

"Don't worry, only this" I raised the pizza box. She transformed back into robot mode.

We carried on chatting.

"So what's the SBS like?" She asked.

"They are a special operations force set up at the end of the second world war. More specifically the water born type of missions. A well-known example was during the Falklands war. An SBS team of roughly twenty men took speed boats and beached them in mainland Argentina. They broke into an airbase where planes bombing British warships were based at. With nothing more than assault rifles and frag grenades they destroy all the planes. As a result it seriously reduced the number of Argentine planes attacking the British" I said. She nodded in approval.

"Have to be completely nuts to join them. Their idea of fun is hunting sharks with knifes only"

"That does sound a bit crazy" She commented.

I ate a slice of pizza. Raised the box slightly to her. "You want some?" I asked. We both laughed quietly.

"I'm alright thanks"

Again we carried on chatting the night away. I ate my pizza and finish the coke over time.


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning arrived. The sky lit up a long time before the sun actually showed itself. I was still awake, barely. I was sitting in the corner and every so often my head would droop a bit. Arcee was sat across from me. Every time I was about to drift off she'd throw a balled up piece of paper at my head. There was a box of printer paper next to her.

We could start to hear the Darby's getting up and about. I shook my head to wake myself up. I stood up and stretched. I went into the living room. Jack was there getting ready for school.

"How are you this morning?" He asked.

I stood there like a zombie. "Fine thanks" I said very tiredly. I yawned loudly.

"Looks like someone could do with some sleep" June said approaching.

"I said I'd stay up the night to make sure you were both safe" I leaned to one side due to the fact I was so tired. I corrected my balance before I fell over.

"For that I thank you" She said.

She came up to me and reached up to my head pulling it down to her level. She planted a big kiss on my cheek.

"That's for protecting me last night" She smiled. I smiled the best I could. I was tired.

"Well, you could with something to eat" She went into the kitchen. I sat on the sofa.

I called back. "There's no doubt Elita will make a breakfast for me when I get back"

"Oh certainly. I know what she's like with you" She replied. She came back into the living room.

"There you go" She put a bowl of corn flakes and a mug of tea of the table behind the sofa. "Should keep you going for the mean time"

I got up and went to have it. "Thanks"

I sat there eating while Jack was rushing around grabbing things and putting them in his bag. June reminding him to get this and that.

When I had my breakfast and Jack was ready we both went into the garage. I picked up the spare helmet on the worktop. Jack got his from there as well and we both mounted on Arcee. She was going to drop off Jack at school then we'd head back to base, where I'd finally get some sleep. June was in the garage to wave us goodbye.

"June if you have any further problems or anything else. Don't hesitate to call"

"Ok Michael. Take care of them Arcee"

"Will do" Arcee replied. She rolled down the driveway and turned left on the road and zoomed off down the street.

We got to the school and we parked up outside. Jack got off and I shuffled forward into the driving position.

"Well, I'll see you guys around" Jack said.

"See you later"

"Don't go damaging my bike now" He said so others could hear.

"My bike?" Arcee didn't like that. I laughed.

"Hey, don't worry Jack. She won't have a scratch" I backed us up onto the street and Arcee took off heading to the base.

When we finally got back to base I was so exhausted. I managed to dismount Arcee and she transformed back into robot mode. I managed to stumble across the control room and slowly tried to climb the stairs. I was struggling to keep awake I was so tired. Elita walked in from one of the corridors and saw me in the state that I was.

"Michael!" She was assuming I was hurt or something. She came running over to me.

"Hey, I'm fine" I put a hand up. "Just very, very tired"

She picked me up from off the stairs and carried me over to the sofa to save my legs from anymore walking. My head leaned back on the top of it.

"You need to sleep" She told me.

"Yeah, don't you think I know that?" I asked tiredly.

She went over to somewhere out of my sight. I knew what she was getting. She returned with an already inflated camping mattress, some pillows and a blanket. She set it all out so that effectively she had turned her arms into a makeshift bed. Apparently I seem to sleep better in her arms than I do in my own bed. I'm not too sure why though. Possibly because it's in the back of my mind, sub-consciously I know I am completely safe from harm so the fighting instincts don't come to fruition, so I fall into a much deeper form of sleep.

She lowered her arms down so that I could climb into them. I laid down on the mattress and rested on my side facing her with my head buried in the soft pillows. There were five of them forming a semi circle in the crook of her arm. She draped the blanket over me and tucked me in. She slid me till I was right up against her. I was in a comfortable position. I closed my eyes and it wasn't hard to sleep. With her inbuilt radio she played a spirits of nature album. With the sweet soft music, which was pretty much a lullaby to me, and her rocking me gently back and fore slightly, I was soon asleep.

"Sweet dreams" She whispered and she gave me a mothers kiss on the top of my head. Long and gentle.

Arcee came to see what was up. She noticed Elita was cradling me. She looked at me sleeping like a baby in it's mothers arms.

"Aww, doesn't he just look so sweet. I just don't know how you do it. He's so cute" She said.

"I heard that" I mumbled. They gave each other a smile and chortled.

"Go to sleep" Elita told me. So again I forced myself back to sleep, which again wasn't hard.

For awhile Arcee stayed and watched me sleep. All the Autobots had come to treat me like family. They knew the others had their own families, real families. But they knew that I didn't have any family at all. I had no aunts or uncles, so no cousins.

Nothing.

The Autobots were my family now. The way I saw it was, Elita was quite obviously a mother to me. Optimus was the father, he was to everyone. Arcee was my big sister, Bulkhead was my big brother and Bumblebee was like a little brother, although in spirit. Ratchet was the grouchy old man. Uncle possibly? But that's how I saw it all in my head. I really liked it. I'd never had a family before. I never knew my father and I only had five years with my mother before I tragically lost her. From then on it was just me really. Rear Admiral Baines did what he could but not because he believed he should, but rather he felt that he had to. If it was not for that close comradeship from the navy where one would help one's family if they pasted away, chances are I would have stayed in that orphanage till I was sixteen. Then been killed straight away as soon as I left.

As I slept I made these sort of purring and stifled squeaks every now and then. It was a sign I was sleeping well. Why I made these noises, I don't know. Some people just do that. Some breath loudly and others snore, while some are so damn quiet you could mistake them for being dead. For Elita and Arcee these noises I made was heart warming to them. Or should that be spark warming? Arcee eventually saw enough and went about her day. I shuffled slightly with my head nuzzling the pillow quite affectionately. Elita stroked me and massaged my head slightly. I slept peacefully with no nightmares. And if there were any she was there for me.

A few hours down the line and it was the afternoon. I was still sleeping in her arms. She was sitting on a box next to the human area. I needed the full eight hours to get over last night. The three Autobots with their charges came zooming into the base making a hell of a noise. The kids made there way up to the human area.

"Shh, you'll wake the baby" Elita joked. The kids became quiet. They knew what she meant.

"He's completely shattered from last night so please could you keep it down?" She asked them. They all nodded.

By now I have curled up into a ball and had the blanket pulled right up. I had stopped with the noises awhile back.

Soon it was time for me to have my lunch. However I had to wake up.

"Michael" She said softly. "Michael. Rise and shine"

I groaned. I head lifted slightly. "Five more minutes?" I dropped my head back into the pillow.

"Come on, up you get" She told me. I groaned some more. I slowly got up into a sat up position. I looked up at her and rested my head against her. I started to rub my cheek on her chest. I was feeling very affectionate. That won me a good massage to the head.

"What are you like" She said. "You need to have some lunch"

I was still feeling slightly tired and I didn't want to get out of the makeshift bed. She could tell but didn't have the heart to force me out of it as I was so comfortable where I was.

"Just stay there" She said.

With a free hand she reached over to the kitchen area and pulled out a ready meal from a cupboard. Poked the plastic and carefully placed it in the microwave.

I got myself into a better position, sitting more upright.

"Hey, guys. How's school?" I asked leaning back slightly to see them around Elita's side.

They just mumbled something.

"I heard you had a smack down with bad guys last night" Miko said while punching an imaginary person.

"Yeah. I held one off the ground with my one hand at arms length" I said while too mimicking the said action.

"Sweet!" She exclaimed in a high pitch tone.

"There were eight of them. Took out four. The others ran away before I got a chance at them"

"Well, you did a fine job protecting June" Elita said. The microwave finished. She reached in and handed down to me a ready meal lasagne on a tray with a glass of water. "There you go, my brave little hero" She ruffled my hair. I found it all a bit funny.

Funny because last night I was beating up hardened criminals, now I was being treated like a child. But I didn't mind because deep down I had craved for someone to care for me when I was younger. I always wished my mother was still alive. But I knew she was never coming back. Elita however was by far the next best thing, so when she started to treat me like a child at times I'd get this warm fuzzy feeling from it. I ate my lunch while Elita watched me lovingly. When I finished it she picked up the tray and put it to one side.

"Just been thinking. When I'm away somebody has got to escort June for a short while when they discover I'm not around" I said.

"Don't worry about that. I will" Elita said.

"Well at least she will be happy that she can turn up to work in style"

"Oh stop it" She ruffled my hair. "You want to go back to sleep? I don't mind"

"I don't think I can sleep with the noise of that" I pointed with my thumb to the kids playing their video games.

"So what do you want to do?"

"I think I'll read for a little while"

She reached somewhere and handed me my e-book reader. It looked so tiny in the palm of her giant metal hand. I picked it up. Turned it on and found a book to start. I read the first of the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child, Killing Floor. I heard only recently about this series and I thought that this Reacher guy was a lot like me. Or was like me. I'm no longer a drifter on my own.

I lied back down into the mattress and snuggled up to Elita as I began reading.

I got to chapter three and Reacher had been arrested for murder and has been put into a police cell awaiting for what's to came next. But by now I was feeling tired. My head was already resting on Elita's chest and I could feel myself wanting sleep. Elita could tell. She carefully took the e-book from me and place it to one side. She reached under me and slid me flat on the mattress. She pulled the blanket over me and tucked me in. I snuggled up to her and went to sleep. She started to stroke me gently. I soon started with the purring and stifled squeaks.

I found myself standing on a country road in the forest somewhere. The road markings suggested I was somewhere in North America. I checked myself out. Nothing unusual. I was standing there wearing white running shoes, dark blue shorts and a thin black exercise shirt. I felt something in my left pocket. It was an MP3 player and those in-ear headphones with the part that wraps around the outside to stop it from falling out.

"Must be going for a run in this dream" I said out loud to myself.

I stick the headphones in and select a song. Midnight Runner by Pendulum. I start to walk down the road to warm up. Then I hear the sound of a car's engine. From beyond the brow of the hill ahead of me a pink Honda S2000 comes driving towards me. It's Elita.

She rolled to a stop in front of me and transformed. I stopped my music.

"How you doing?" I asked her.

"Fine thanks. Sorry to disturb your run but we detected an energon deposit near here, so I came along to check it out. I thought I should let you know that I was in the area"

"Oh, fair enough"

"Well have a good run. I'll see you back home later"

"Sure, see you later"

She stepped into the dense woods and was quickly out of sight, although I could still hear her. I put my music back on and proceeded to walk down the road. I gave it two minutes and then I quickened my pace to a run with the beat. Not a sprint. Just a run.

I was twenty five minutes into my run. When you run constantly for twenty minutes your body then starts to burn fat only. It's why marathon runners are so skinny. This was my way of keeping myself trim. The other exercises I do builds up the muscles. I get really into it and I had reached that point where your mind goes blank and all you think about is running. Nothing else. It's like your in some sort of trance and you forget who you are for that moment.

I heard some jets fly overhead. I look up and see these odd looking purple fighter jets go over low in single file. I just dismiss it completely. I seen this before. Probably a training exercise. I carry on running. They fly over two minutes later. Again low overhead in single file. Must be exercising circular manoeuvres. The road carries on through the forest in whatever state I'm in. Soon I reach an opening in the trees. There is a blanket of concrete to the right hand side where there most likely was a petrol station or something once before. I take note of it and just ran on where the road goes past.

I hear those damn jets again and I can't help but think what they're doing. Again they fly over head in the same direction as me. Only his time they don't just keep going. They pull up one after the other. The first one banks left. The second, banks right. And the other four do the same thing. Left, right, left, right.

By now I had come to a stop wondering what on earth they were doing. They all pulled up, banking in there direction and looped around heading back down... straight for me. I mind couldn't process what was going on. Were all the pilots insane? Had to be. They were flying themselves to an oblivion.

My question was answered and one by one the jets transformed in mid air. The first one landed on it's feet causing an booming sound. The shockwave from it caused me to fall over. I fell flat on my face. I heard another five booming sounds and five more shockwaves. All throwing me in all directions. I was again flat on my face.

I shook off the slight pain of quickly getting up close and personal with the tarmac. I pushed myself up and came to a sitting position. I looked up. Six metal giants, all Decepticon drones that circled me. All with their weapons aimed at me. There was no escape. I dared not move believing they would destroy me if I did. I was terrified.

Where was Elita? Surely she must have known they were here? And why would she let me go for a run by myself if she suspected them to be nearby? I just wanted her so badly to come to my rescue. I was so scared.

It got a whole lot worse for me. I heard the sound of rotor blades. I looked in the sky and to my horror was Arachnid circling above me and the drones. She transformed in mid air and landed on her feet near the circle. I was still on the floor, only now I was shaking like a leaf. She approached and two of the drones made way for her. She took her time coming to me. She was enjoying this and she knew that I knew it. That knowledge was given her a sick pleasure. She began to circle around me within the circle of drones.

"Aww, if it isn't a little human all on it's own" She said mockingly. The others gave an evil chuckle to her remark.

She knelt down. I tried to back away but I simply couldn't. I was so afraid. They all could tell and they were revelling in it.

"Aww, are you scared?" She waited for an answer. I nodded my head shivering as it did.

"And are you all alone?" I shook my head.

"She's near by. Isn't she?" She asked coldly. I nodded.

"Let me tell you how it is. You see, you're a human and I am a Cybertronian, yeah?" I nodded.

"I'm sure you understand the idea of survival of the fittest?" I again nodded.

"Well quite simply, I'm a predator and your my prey. I could just kill you right now, but that would be too easy. I like to hunt as a sport, and I think you will make a good prey for me to catch"

I found my voice again. "P-Please, don't do this" I whimpered.

"Aww, I'm so sorry. But you have no choice in the matter. Your going to die. The only choice you have is now, or after I have captured you. However there is one reason why you should run. Your 'mummy' is out there somewhere. If you can get to her before I get to you, then I will let you both go. Deal?" I nodded. Slowly.

"I believe you'd say yes. Now I will let you have a head start of five minutes. After that, I'm coming to kill you" She backed away, so did the others.

I got to my feet and ran as fast as I could into the trees in the direction I came from. I figured if I could get to where Elita was earlier, I might be able to track her down before I was caught by that predator.

I was breathing rapidly. I was panicking. I was running with little idea where and being chased by a predator hunting me down as I was it's prey. I dare not look back. I was terrified. I had to find Elita. Only she could fend off my hunter. I ran and I ran. I maybe quick on my feet and in good shape, but there was only so much my body could do. I didn't have the stamina to keep this speed up. I slowed down slightly so I could go further. I believe that Arachnid would have a difficult time keeping up in the dense forest. But then again she can fly. A major advantage. I was sure I was going to die.

I kept up my pace when I found myself out of the trees and staring up a tall rocky cliff. Maybe if I could climb it, I might get a better view and possibly work out where Elita is. I made my way across the opening. Then I heard my hunters. They appeared from over the trees. Arachnid landed first with the drones behind her. She didn't come right for me. She wanted to prolonged my suffering.

"Well I'm rather disappointed with you. You are just too easy to catch. Oh well it looks like it's the end of you"

"Please, please don't kill me. I don't want to die. I beg of you, spare my life" I was on my knees with my hands clasped together.

She looked behind at the drones. "Aww, isn't he just the sweetest. He thinks he can beg for his life" She looked back at me.

"I'm sorry but your pathetic pleas won't help. Time to face facts. Time to die"

I lowered my head. Ready to accept my fate.

I roar was heard from above. "NOOO!"

Elita dropped from the cliff above. She landed causing the ground to shudder violently. The sound startled me and I curled up in a ball. Elita was hunched over me. With one fist smashed into the ground. She was in a defensive position. I was saved.

"You'll leave my child alone, or I will destroy you all" She snarled at them. She looked underneath herself at me.

"You alright?" She asked softly. I only whimpered in fright. "Don't be scared, I'm here now"

"Your child?" Arachnid said. She laughed loudly. So did the others.

"He's a human. He isn't your child, he's your pet. You just can't bring yourself to say it. It's the only thing there good for, being pets. When we get rid of you and the other Autobots, humans will become our slaves. And the lucky few will become our pets"

"I'll never let you enslave humans. Ever"

I moved on my hands and knees towards the nearest of Elita's leg and hid behind it. She stood up. Her hands transformed into guns and before they could react, she took out the drones. I was clinging to her heel as I was so afraid. Elita bend down twisting around. One gun transformed back into a hand and she picked me up off the floor. I curled up tightly in her hand and she held me close. I was shivering terribly.

"Shh, Shh. Your safe now, your safe now. I won't let anything happen to you" She whispered to me. She gave me a reassuring kiss on my head.

"That's disgusting. You kiss him? He's a human. He should be put where he belongs. At our feet"

"Go away or I will rip your spark out" Elita threatened.

"No" She fired her webbing at Elita making sure that the hand I was in, was uncovered. The rest of her was pinned to the cliff face.

"Finally. Sorry Michael but you are my prey and I have to do what has to be done" She came up to the hand with me in it.

Elita curled her fingers around me and waved it about to stop Arachnid from getting me, while struggling to free herself.

Arachnid grabbed hold of the arm and slowly with some effort prised the fingers away. Quick as lighting I was in Arachnid's hand.

"No, please" Elita pleaded for my life. "Kill me instead. Not him"

Arachnid held me outstretched. I whimpered. One of the arms from her back positioned itself to make a quick stab. It would bear down on me killing me in a bloody way.

I looked to Elita desperately. "Save me" I whimpered.

"I'm sorry Michael, I failed you. Please don't be scared. Stay strong for me"

I couldn't take anymore. I wanted it to all end. I started to cry.

"Please, let him go" She pleaded.

"Hear we go" Arachnid announced. The arm came down striking me.

Arachnids face was covered in my blood and guts.

"NOOOOO!" Elita screamed.

I shot up from the mattress. I was breathing rapidly and I had a cold sweat.

"Hey, hey. You alright?" Elita asked.

I looked up at her, tears forming in my eyes. She brought a hand to dry my eyes. I grabbed at it and I pulled it close to me and hugged it tightly. She curled it around me, knowing that I needed the comfort. I needed to feel safe.

"I take it, you had a nightmare?" I nodded slowly.

"Want to tell me about it?"

So I told her all about it. I started to cry.

"Shh, Shh. Please don't cry" She lifted me so I was held in front of her face.

"I promise you I will never let that monster anywhere near you" She pulled me to her cheek. I continued to sob, my tears running off my face and onto hers.

The other Autobots had gathered over a short period of time. They were all saddened to see me so upset. Arcee came the closest and she try to help by stroking my hair. After I while I my eyes could no longer produce tears. I just stayed there. I didn't want to leave the comfort of Elita. She laid me back into the bed and tucked me in. I didn't sleep. I just curled up, thinking about my horrible nightmare. Shivering. Sobbing silently.

Elita kept on trying to soothe me by playing quiet soft music and gently stroking me. I was very shaken up. Slowly I went back to sleep. It seems today is just sleeping.


	6. Chapter 6

The next time I woke up it was the next morning. Elita still held me close in her arms. She wanted to be sure that I was going to be alright. I was… ok. I still hadn't gotten over what I went through in my nightmare. It would seem my sub-conscience really doesn't like me. As I opened my eyes I saw Elita was watching me intently. Straight away she was caressing my cheek with her thumb.

"How you feeling?" She asked very gently.

I gave her a small smile "OK, I guess"

With the tip of her finger she stroked my hair. She then pulled the blanket off me.

"Well, you've been lying in my arms for some time now" She told me. I knew what she was getting at. She lowered her arms to the level of the platform. I stood up on the mattress and hopped onto the platform. She placed the makeshift bed down and she lowered her head to my level.

"Are you sure you've ok?" She asked.

"Yeah. Good thanks" I reached out to her and I wrapped myself hugging the side of her face. She put a hand around me.

"Thank you Elita. I love you so much" I whispered.

"I love you to Michael" She moved her head back, still holding me so I didn't fall off the platform. She gave me a kiss on the forehead.

"Now you need to go wash up and then have your breakfast. You need to finish your packing"

"Sure"

I went to my room, into the shower, shaved and put on some clean clothes. Came back out again. I made myself breakfast as I think Elita went off to do… something. I had my breakfast with no disturbances. I plugged my external hard drive into the TV and watched some TV shows I had since managed to download from the internet or copied from one of my mates back in the UK. This time I was watching old episodes of Miami Vice.

After a while I went to complete the majority of my packing. All that was left was my tech and my hand luggage. I came out of my room into the control room. All the Autobots were present and they appeared to be waiting for me.

"Alright?" I asked casually.

"We have some gifts for you" Elita told me.

"Oh yeah?" I asked somewhat surprised. Elita laid her hand out for me to step up onto, which I did. She held me so I was in the centre of a circle.

Ratchet began "First off is this" He handed me a clear medium sized bag.

"What's this?" I was confused.

"It's a bag for you to stow your weapons. It will make your firearms untraceable to normal security checks for hold luggage" He told me.

"Oh. Brilliant, thanks"

"Also I have modified your laptop so it can connect to the satellites we have access to. It's means we can keep in contact with you. Also you can have full access to the internet and we can make video calls, whenever you like"

"Now that's brilliant, thank you very much"

"Michael?" Elita wanting my attention. I turned around to face her.

"We all have this for you" She handed me a small dark green box. I studied it.

"Well open it then" She told me. I did. Inside was a simple stainless steel ID tag. I looked closer. On the one side was my full name and date of birth engraved into it.

Michael James Rickers 20·04·1992.

I looked at the other side. There was a simple short message.

'We will always be there for you' It said. Above the message was the Autobot symbol.

"It contains a tracker so we will always be able to keep a track on you" Elita told me.

"It's wonderful. Thank you" I took it out of the box and clipped it around my neck so the name side would be on display.

"Thank you all. I'm sure they will all come in handy" I pointed at the ID tag. "Although maybe not this as much, but all the same, it's nice. Thank you" I said to them all.

"We're just glad to help" Optimus said to me.

"You know, when I'm away. I'm going to miss you all"

"And we're going to miss you" Elita said. "Me especially"

She pulled me to her for a kiss.

"Hey, I'm only going for two months, nothing substantial. It will go quickly, trust me. It will also go very quickly if the crew are a load of hard partying maniacs" I chuckled. Elita shook her head in disapproval. "What?"

The day came for me to go. It was somewhere in the early afternoon and the kids had managed to get off school early. June and Fowler had come to the base as well. I was loading my luggage into the boot of June's car as she was driving me to Las Vegas where my flight would be leaving in the early hours of the next morning. Experience has told me to arrive very early.

"All set to go?" June asked.

"Yep"

The kids came down to the car. I shook Jack's hand. "Look after yourself mate, concentrate hard in school and look after your mum"

"Will do" We hugged each other. A man hug.

I turned to Miko "You keep yourself out of trouble, ok?"

"I will"

I leaned in closer and whispered to her "Also, keep annoying Ratchet, yeah?" She nodded. We hugged.

"And you young man, take care of yourself and study hard. I'll see you in two months"

"Ok" He said shakily. He was a little upset about me leaving. I knelt down and wrapped him up in a big hug.

"Don't worry mate. I won't be gone for long. Two months is a short time"

Tears came to his eyes. The other two knelt down to hold him. I smiled. I know he will be fine. He's only young. I let go and let the other two handle him.

I looked to Fowler and shook his arm with vigour . "You look after yourself while your out there" He told me.

"Hey, this is me your talking about. I'll be fine. I'll see you around" We gave each other a man hug patting each other on the back.

On to Bumblebee. He knelt down. "You look after Raff, yeah?" He nodded while beeping in Morse code. _"Will do"_

"Bulkhead, take care and... keep an eye on Miko"

"Don't worry buddy, one step ahead of you there" I chortled.

"Ratchet" I nodded once. "Be seeing you soon"

"You look after yourself. And good journey"

"Thanks"

Arcee knelt down to me. "You take care and don't try and get into fights involving football like before" She smiled.

"Yes, ma'am" I casually saluted, smiling back.

"Michael" Optimus started. "I hope you have a pleasant journey. And in maritime tradition, I wish you clear horizons"

"Thank you, Optimus. See you soon" I nodded once.

Elita too knelt down, offering a hand for me to stand on. I stepped up onto it. She stood up again holding me in front of her face.

"Guess I'll see you soon" I said, not really knowing how to say good bye. She pulled me to her face hugging me to it.

"You look after yourself, you hear?"

"I will, I promise"

She started to kiss me multiple times. I could tell she wasn't taking this so easily.

"Look, I'll be alright"

"I'll miss you Michael"

"Same"

"I love you, so very much" She kissed me long and gentle on the top of my head.

"I love you to" I kissed her once on the cheek.

"Seen you in two months" I whispered. She set me back on the floor. But didn't let me go just yet. She stroked my hair with her thumb. I put my hand on her hand for a moment.

Finally she let me go. Struggling to contain her emotions. Optimus but a comforting arm around her. I walked over to the car and opened the passenger door.

"See you in two months" I called out to everyone. There were waves and good byes from them all. I got in and closed the door.

June got in and started the engine. I put my seatbelt on as she reversed the car to face the tunnel to the base exit. I could Elita was struggling. She looked like a mother saying good bye to her child. Not surprising really. But it was nice to see, because it showed that she really cared for me. No one has cared for me as much as her since my own mother died fourteen years ago. June put the car in drive and drove the car to the exit. We swept around the left turning tunnel and came through the secret entrance of what was my home. We hit the bumpy surface of the sandy wasteland and were quickly on the road to Jasper. June drove us to the outskirts of the town and headed onto the interstate and settled down for the drive south to Las Vegas.

"When I'm away could you make sure that Elita's going to be alright?" I asked June.

"Not a problem"

At around eleven at night we reached the airport. June parked the car in the short stay car park nearest to the terminal. I got out and could smell the smell of airports. The most noticeable being the kerosene of aircraft fuel. I got my bags out of the boot. I found a trolley and place them on that. We wheeled it into the terminal and headed straight for the KLM desk. It was quiet in the terminal. Quiet for an international airport that is. Their was no line for the check in desk so we both walked straight to it.

"Good evening sir" Said the woman wearing the light blue suit behind the desk.

"Evening, the half one flight to Amsterdam"

"Name?"

"The name's Rickers"

She typed into the computer. "I'll need you passport and your discharge book please"

"Sure thing" I handed her both the red and blue books. She checked the photo's of both and handed them back to me.

"Can you put the bag onto the belt please?" I did and the hold bag was weighing in at just over twenty kilo's.

"Michael, I think your luggage is over the weight limit" June said concerned.

"Don't worry, I got the seafarers limit. It goes to forty. I'm good"

"Oh"

"You going to sea sir" The desk lady asked.

"Yes, car carrier for two months"

"That's sounds interesting. Here's your boarding pass for your flight to Amsterdam and onto Brussels. Your luggage will be automatically transferred. You can pick it up at Brussels"

"Thanks"

"Have a pleasant flight sir"

We walked away from the desk and dumped the trolley with a load of others. I kept a good hold of my laptop bag and cabin bag. We walked down to the where their were places to get a cup of something.

We found a coffee place. We both sat down to have a latte.

"June, you going to be ok?"

"Yeah"

"You take care of the kids"

"Of course, anything else?" She asked jokingly.

"Also, take care of my Jag, I don't want to see scratches on either of them" I pulled out the keys handed them both to her.

"Your saying I can have your car?" She asked excitedly.

"Sure, why should they stay idle. Get the most out of it, because when I get back, I'll be asking for those back"

An announcement was made. _"Will all passengers for flight KL 1037 to Amsterdam Schiphol, please make your way through security to the departures lounge"_

I looked back at June "Well this looks like where we part"

I stood up and got my hand luggage. We walked down the terminal to where the way through to security was. I stopped and turned back to June.

"You keep yourself safe now" I told her.

"Will do" Her eyes began to water. I put my bags down and put my arms around her. I hugged her tightly as she rested her head on my chest. She was starting to cry. I put one of my massive hands around the back of her head to comfort her.

"Every things going to be fine. Ok?" She nodded and stepped out my arms. She looked up at me. Her eyes were all red.

"Bye Michael" She pulled my head down slightly and kissed me on the cheek. I did the same.

"Good bye June" I picked up my bags and headed through security. When I was clear I waved back and headed around the corner. Now it was just me for two months.

I waited in the departures lounge until my flight was called. I walked to the gate and handed my boarding pass and passport, then I went through the elevated tunnel walkway and boarded the plane. I took my seat which a window seat next to the port wing with a good view. After another ten minutes the plane started to taxi and the stewards and stewardesses did the safety announcement. I didn't pay attention. I already knew off by heart. In both English and Dutch. The cabin crew took their seat and the lights were dimmed. We lined up on the run way and the engines engaged. I was pushed right back into the seat and the plane charged down the run way. The nose came up and I was then pushed down in the seat as we took off. We climbed for a few minutes and levelled off. The safety belt light went out and I turn on my mobile in airplane mode and used it as an MP3 player. I listened to soothing music Elita plays to me to make me sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note

As you know I don't make authors notes however in light of recent events on the news I simply had to say something. What happened on board the cruise ship Costa Concordia was completely disgusting and horrifying. A 21st century Cruise ship, colliding into rocks like it did just shouldn't happen. Now whatever the Captain was doing after the grounding, is unclear. I won't comment about that, but then again it should have been clear what he was doing. But my problem was the navigation side to it. How the captain could justify bringing a vessel over 300m long as close to rocks at around 300m, I don't know.

This whole incident really grates me because now we seafarers are going to all be branded as incompetent by governments, pressure groups and just about anyone else who wants to join the bandwagon. Our jobs is already hard enough and now we are going to hit by a wave of new, completely stupid, over burdening regulations, making our lives considerably harder.

But don't let that incident put you of ever going on cruise holiday's or even consider working at sea. Events like this are incredibly rare, and I hope soon to never happen again. We officers are put through very intense training to ensure the safety of life, safety of the ship and safety of the environment.

Thank you for reading this note.

* * *

><p>After the nine hour flight to Amsterdam, I stopped there for two hours and boarded the City Hopper flight to Brussels which took only roughly three quarters of an hour. I didn't watch any inflight films, I just slept only waking up for the breakfast which was a good: Belgian Waffles . I arrived at Brussels and walked what must have seemed over a mile to the baggage hall. I got my hold luggage and came out into arrivals. I saw this round shaped man, dressed up as if he was going fishing on a river somewhere displaying a card saying CSV Nevada Highway. There were a lot of people with ship's names on the boards they were carrying. I approached him.<p>

"Evening. Bonjour" I said. I shook his hand. "I take it you're the ship agent?"

"Oh no, no misère, I'm just the taxi driver" He said in a Belgian accent which is very similar to French with a hint of Dutch.

"Oh, ok"

"Would you like to have something to eat? The ship hasn't arrived yet. I'll pay"

"Yes thanks"

We walked out of the arrivals and dumped my bags into the boot of this Black Mercedes Mini bus. Went to a burger bar and I order the biggest thing they had. The driver said he was waiting for someone else who was joining another ship so he left me to eat while he went back to arrivals.

I pulled out my phone and turn off airplane mode. In a few seconds I had a connection. I called back to the base. It would sometime in the late morning there. Ratchet answered my call.

_"Hello Michael, how was your flight?"_

"Hi, fine thanks. Managed to sleep well. Just calling to say I've touched down in Belgium and I will be hitting the motorway soon. Should be at the port in an hours time when the ship should be getting in"

_"Thanks for letting us know. The tracker is saying exactly that so we now know it's working properly"_

"I'm not so comfortable with the idea of you lot constantly knowing where I am. How accurate is it?"

_"Within a few meters"_

"So you could tell if I was I a particular shop for example?" I asked slowly.

_"Look Michael, I'm not stupid. Yes Elita and Arcee would know if you went to… you know"_

"Great" I said in in disappointment.

_"I'll try to make sure they don't see what you don't want them to see"_

"Cheers. I'll make a video call once I've settled in on board. See you then"

_"Bye for now"_

I hung up.

The driver returned with an Asian man in his early forties where glasses and a grey long overcoat.

"Ok, we're ready to go" He said.

We went to the minibus with the two of us sitting in the back. With drove out of the airport and were straight away on the motorway heading to Zebrugge.

"Evening" I said to the Asian man.

"Evening" He said back. I could tell from his accent he was Singaporean.

"You from Singapore?"

"Yes. You?"

"Britain. May I ask of your rank?"

"Superintendent. You?"

"Oh, only a deck cadet" I said like it meant very little.

"We've all got to start somewhere"

"Yeah" I chortled.

We drove on in silence. I put on some music in my ears for the hour long drive watching the European countryside go by.

We reached the port. The driver took us to the immigration office. We all walked in with our passports at the ready.

The guard looked at mine and stamped it then giving it back without speaking a word. For the Singaporean he had to check a little bit of paperwork, it all check out. We came out again and back into the minibus. The driver droves us deeper into the port. I looked out of the window and I could see my ship. It looked exactly like on the internet. White on top, black on the bottom with a red funnel on the port quarter. It looked massive, and this was from a mile away. We came to another office only I went inside.

Told the guard I was joining the ship. He checked my paperwork. The Singaporean got out of the Minibus and the driver drove me trough the checkpoint, along the berth and up onto the stern quarter ramp into the ship itself.

I got out to hear all this noise of car engines. Bashing and crashing of the sound of metal lashing being attached on other decks. I got my bags out.

A man who was slightly overweight, very pale in colour and walked around like a zombie wearing dark blue overalls approached me. He extended his arm out. I took it and shook.

"You must be the new cadet?" He said.

"Yes that's right"

"I'm the chief officer. Welcome on board. Let's get your stuff to your cabin"

"Thank you sir"

He led me over to the starboard side of the deck with me carrying my bags. We went through a watertight door into a stairway. There was a lift. We were on deck five. The accommodation block was right at the top on deck twelve. The lift came down. The chief opened the first door with the cage door sliding open automatically. We got in. We rode the lift up to deck twelve. We got out straight to the right was another doorway that let outside on the top deck. We followed under a canopy which led us into the accommodation block. There was a long narrow corridor with many doors on both sides. We went nearly all the way until we came to a door on the left. I looked above the door. It said Junior Officer. Also was my name, rank and the cabin phone number. 44.

We stepped in. It was nice. Cream walls an ensuite to the left. A single bed on the far right corner. A window to the far left. A table in the centre of the cabin with a two seater along the wall on the right with a soft dark green leather chair with a wooden frame. There was also a desk on the right of the door and between the ensuite and the window was a wardrobe, bookcase with glass panels in the doors and a cupboard. I couldn't have ask for more.

"Well this will be you for the time you're here. If you leave your stuff here for now, I'll introduce you to the captain"

"Show me the way"

We came back into the corridor. We carried on going down. At the end was another door. Went through that. Carried on. There was a junction to left of right. We went right we let around to a left. We went past the galley and the mess rooms on one side. On the left was the gym and the slop chest. We went past that until we came to an opening. There was three doors I could see the chief officers cabin, the captains cabin and the deck office. There was also another door hidden at first that was opposite to the deck office. The stairway to the bridge. We went into the deck office. Inside was a long table with many chairs pulled up.

Sitting on the nearest end was the captain with his back to us.

"The new cadet has arrived" Chief told the captain.

The captain stood up from his chair and turned around. He was tall, my height and similar build. He was wearing dark jeans and his brown shirt with the masters epilates on his shoulders. I guess he was wearing jeans because as he was the most senior officer he could wear whatever he liked. His skin was tanned coloured. He had short crew cut black hair and a short tuff of a beard below his bottom lip. He gave me a very welcoming smile. He shook my hand.

"Welcome on board the CSV Nevada Highway"

"Thank you sir"

"And was your flight from Nevada good?" He laughed at the coincidence. We all laughed.

"Yes sir, good as it could be"

"I checked your company file. Says you were on the Catalonian Star"

"Yes sir"

"Were you on board at the time it went down?"

"Indeed I was. If you read the initial report it said I was vaporised. But obviously that was wrong "

"Wow that's quite something. I've never had a fire on board ever, and you get a sinking on your first ship. Hopefully things will be better this time"

"I hope so sir"

"Well good to meet you, I'll speak to you later about your duties. I have to deal with the agent as we're still waiting for the stores to arrive. You can go to your cabin, get yourself sorted out. Dinner in the mess is at half five to half six. Get some sleep tonight and be on the bridge at nine"

"Yes sir, thank you sir"

I left the deck office and headed back to my cabin. I slowly unpacked my things.

Half an hour later I was done. Time to make a call home. I locked my door and shut the curtains. Opened the laptop and switched it on. It would be some time in the afternoon and my guess would be the kids would have arrived from school.

I made the call to the base. It took a few seconds for the image to appear. The view was from the main computer screens in the base. All the Autobots were their and so were the kids, June and Fowler.

"Hi, everybody. Well here I am on board in Belgium"

_"How's is it on board?"_ Optimus asked.

"Very good. The ship is in excellent condition. My cabin is so much better than my last one. And I have it to myself. I've just met the chief officer and the captain and they seem like swell guys"

They all looked pleased.

_"Has anything else happened so far?"_ He asked.

"Not yet, just unpack and settled in to my cabin. Cargo operations has stopped for the night and will start again in the morning. My guess is we should be off in the afternoon. Well I won't chat for long. I better get my dinner and get some sleep. I think tomorrow is going to be a long day. So I'm doing well and I will call you again tomorrow when things have settled down a bit. There has been a big crew change today so theirs going to be a lot of paperwork to get through"

_"You take care of yourself"_ Elita told me.

"Will do. See you tomorrow" I waved at them and cut the line.

I looked at my watch, it was still on US central time. I looked at the clock in the cabin. It was six in the evening. Time for dinner. I readjusted my watch and headed out of my cabin and went to the mess room. Both the officers and crews mess were together. Only a big door way separated the two. Chief was there.

"Michael, you will eat in the crew's mess because there simply isn't enough chairs in the officers mess. It won't make a difference we all go to the galley to collect our meals"

So I did just that. I stood in the doorway for the galley. I saw the cook. Short fat guy wearing white trousers and shirt.

"You the new cadet?" He asked.

"Yes I am. Good to meet you"

He handed me my plate. Grilled chicken.

The cooking on this ship seemed so much better than the last ship. Which meant it was ok compared to everywhere else. I went back to my cabin. Locked the door and got changed. I got into my bed. The mattress was slightly hard but not that bad. Although it was no where near as comfortable as being in Elita's arms, I soon got to sleep anyway.

The next morning I woke up naturally. It was just gone seven. If they did things similar to my last ship I would guess that breakfast would be served between half seven to half eight. I got showered and this shower had more than just two temperatures like the last time. Either ice cold or scolding hot. This one was good, so I was most pleased. I got shaved and got dressed. I put on some shirt and jeans. I wasn't on duty at the moment so no need for uniform. It was half seven so I went for breakfast. When I got there I met the steward.

"New cadet?"

"The one and only"

"Bloody hell your huge. How old are you? Thirty?"

"I'm not sure whether to take that as a compliment or as a offence. I'm nineteen"

"Nineteen? Seriously? Wow" He went into the galley and cooked me fried eggs with sausages.

I sat down to eat "So what's the atmosphere like on board?" I asked him.

"You'll like it, we all have a good drink every night and on Sunday's we all get a day off, except for the watchmen of course. On Sunday's we also have a barbeque on deck if the weather is any good. You into club music?"

"Have you ever been to Ibiza?"

He smiled, he knew what I meant "Good. You'll love it here. How long you on for?"

"Two months"

"Is that it?"

I shrugged.

"Well, we will get as much out of you as possible. Also while you're here, there's a gift for you. It's a tradition to this ship. Every deck cadet before you here has had this" He went into the galley and came with a hard hat. Only this had been covered in silver foil and had a thick blue stripe going over the top. On the front was a stencilled lighting strike and the letters DC were stencilled to the sides.

"Your expected to where that during parties"

I just laughed and took it "Thanks"

I took it back to my room and just before nine I was on the bridge. It was big and airy. Again so different to the Catalonian Star. That bridge was small and cluttered, but somehow felt cosy. Here it was a bit clinical, however at least it was all laid out orderly.

The captain was typing away on the computer in the back.

"Captain?"

"Ah Mr Rickers, good morning. Ok, you will be on the watch with the chief officer and you will be doing deck work with the third officer in the afternoons"

"Ok, is that all sir?"

"I read more or your file last night. I couldn't help noticing your next of kin is a rear admiral. Do you have any parents?"

"No sir. My father died in war when I was two and my mother died to protect me from a gunman when I was five. Rear Admiral Baines was a close friend of my father"

"Sorry to hear about your parents. I had to ask as it is quite unusual"

"Fair enough"

"Have you ever been on a warship?"

"A few" I was thinking mostly about the submarine HMS Vanguard, but didn't mention it as I had signed the official secrets act.

"When we leave port this afternoon, would you like to some hand steering?"

"Sure, why not?"

"Have you done it before?"

"I once steered the Ark Royal out of Portsmouth"

He paused, taking in what I said "Ok, you can do it. If you get into your overalls, you can assist the third officer with the port watch. He'll tell you what to do. Dismissed"

"Thank you captain"

I went back to my cabin and got changed into my overalls. I headed out of the accommodation block and headed to the funnel structure and took the lift down to deck five.

When I got to the deck there were diggers and other mining equipment being loaded for Chile. I carefully made my way to the stern ramp in between the controlled chaos of machinery being loaded, put into placed and lashed down to the deck. I saw this Indian man wearing the company's blue overalls and a woolly hat and one massive pointy beard. He was taking into his radio and was pointing directions to people. I guessed he was the third officer. I approached him.

"Morning! You the third officer?" I shouted at him over the noise.

"Who's asking?" He shouted back.

"Michael Rickers, new cadet!" I shook his hand.

"Good to meet you Michael, call me John!"

"Nice to meet you John!"

"Ok, here's what I want you do to!"

He told me to basically check that cargo isn't damaged and to check the mooring ropes and the ships draught every so often. We would finish the port watch at noon.

We came to the end of our watch and I briefly met the second officer. He was a lot older than the other officers. But a nice bloke.

John and I went back up. We got changed out of our overalls in our own cabins and went for lunch.

After I went with him to his cabin. He had a mini fridge stocked full of cans of beer.

"Michael, if you ever want a beer then you can always get one here, as long as you get some more once in a while from the slop chest. I and the two A/B's chip in together to keep it stocked" John told me.

We sat and drank a few cans as we discussed our pasts. Of course there were some things I couldn't tell him.

We stopped drinking a few hours before we were due to leave port. When that time came we both came onto the bridge. The captain was there and so was the pilot. John was the navigator and would be filling in the bell book, a sort of log book for manoeuvring. I was on the wheel.

The ropes were casted off and hauled in. We used the bow thruster and the tugs to pull us away from the berth. We headed out of the port through the locks and into the north sea.

"Heading two-five-zero please" Captain ordered.

"Two-five-zero" I said. I adjusted to that course.

"Two-five-zero" I confirmed we were on that heading.

"Thank you, gentlemen. Third, take the wheel"

"Heading two-five-zero" I told him.

"Heading two-five-zero" John concurred, following the procedure when hand steering is passed from one to another.

"Thank you. Could you escort the pilot to the pilot station please, then you can go for dinner, then I wish you good rest" Said the captain.

"Thanks" I looked at the pilot "If you would care to follow me, sir"

I grabbed a radio and escorted the pilot

"Pilot boat approaching" I said into the hand held VHF.

_"Thank you"_ Captain said through the radio.

The boat came up to the pilot ladder.

"Pilot boat alongside"

_"Thank you"_

"Pilot on the ladder"

_"Thank you"_

"Pilot on the pilot boat" The boat pulled away back to land "Pilot boat away"

_"Ok, secure the ladder for sea passage and good night"_

"Secure the ladder. Will do"

After I had dinner and went back to my cabin. I was so exhausted. I turned on my laptop and let it start up. I locked my door and drew the curtains. I called home. Only the Autobots were present. Elita was standing right at the front.

"Hi" I waved.

_"Hello, you_" Elita said. _"How are you?"_

"Shattered. It's been a long day"

I told them about my day. What I did and who I met. I told them that I steered the ship out to sea. They were pleased that I had managed to do so much in such I small period of time. I also told them about the parties on Sunday's, although Elita wasn't so cheery about it. She reminded me I was there to learn and not get hammered. I just gave her the 'yeah, whatever you say' line.

Not much had happened since I left. They have been doing patrols and so far no new energon deposits. June's attackers haven't returned and everyone was doing fine. Raff had gotten over me leaving and he was back to his usual self, although all the Autobots were keeping a close eye on him.

I told them I would call again once we were clear of France and we had settled down to the ocean passage to Panama.

I got changed and went to bed ready to get up for four in the morning where we would be arriving in La Havre in the early hours of the morning.


	8. Chapter 8

We were a day away from France. It was a simple short stop. Got in on the morning with me on hand steering and John as navigator like the day before. We docked at around seven in the morning. I did the port watch with John till noon. We only loaded Peugeot and Renault cars and vans till cargo operations stopped and five in the afternoon. The port captain left to drive back to Sweden where he would board the next ship in a place called Uddervella. He was boarding the CSV California Highway. Where it to would go to Belgium then France. We had a delivery of paint and then the pilot arrived. I escorted him to the bridge and I again was on hand steering on the way out. And again escorted the pilot to the pilot station. Now we were on our way for a three week passage in the North Atlantic.

It was the first Sunday. For me I had the day off although I did have to wake up for four in the morning to be a lookout in the dark hours of chief's watch. So when it came to six in the morning I went back to bed for another two hours sleep till breakfast was served. The weather was typical for the North Atlantic in winter. Rough. The ship was rolling around at somewhere at fifteen or so degrees. I most of the morning drinking in Johns cabin with the A/B's. By the time it was eleven at had six cans and I was starting to feel beyond tipsy. Walking to the mess room was hilarious as I fell over three times getting there. While we ate the galley was full of club music. The vibe from the whole crew was just brilliant.

There was an announcement from the captain _"Attention all crew, attention all crew. For those who wish to have a crazy party, make your way to aft of accommodation and act stupid"_

I was grinning from ear to ear. This was going to be a good day. So we all did just that. I hadn't been outside at all today so it surprised me to see that the canopy had been fitted with disco lights, speakers. The lot. The was an oil drum which had been cut in half and turned into a big barbeque and tables full of every alcohol known to man. I got myself a burger and a another can and fell into the beat of the music.

The captain approached me and tapped me from behind.

"As it is your first party on board, you must wear your ceremonial hat" He placed the DC hard hat on my head. "Now, enjoy yourself. That's an order"

"Yes, sir" I said while saluting.

The party was electric. It went on for hours and hours. We drank, we laughed, we danced, we made our ancestors proud. We had reached that stage when the music was tripping. I had drunk so much I couldn't remember how many I had to drink. For some it was the end. Others like myself, it wasn't over. The second, the A/B's, O/S's and I went back to John's cabin for more sheer craziness. I plugged in my phone now acting solely as an MP3 player and played the album Hold Your Colour by Pendulum. With the first track we were practically bouncing off the walls… no actually we were. We all drank more and more, and none of us would back out. We had stomachs of steel, as seafarers should. The night was epic, I've hadn't had this much fun since Ibiza in 2008. It was one apocalyptic rave. Too bad we didn't have glow sticks.

Unfortunately I did let slip that I had access to satellite communications and that I could make video calls. Then everybody in the room suggested we should call home. Although they had no idea what home was to me. I quickly gave in due to the alcohol. We stumbled into my cabin. We brought speakers into my room and continued with the club music, drinking all sorts, I somehow had a carton of cheap red wine in my hand. So I drank from it anyway. I made a call to base. I don't how but it was like somehow the laptop knew there were others present so we couldn't see an image of the base although they could see us.

Back at base it was all quiet. The kids were at the base and June had a Sunday off. All the Autobots were present, all discussing a plan for taking yet other energon deposit and trying to work out what my opinion would be. And as luck would have it they were receiving a call from me. Ratchet checked the screen.

"It says that Michael is not the only one in his cabin. I'll keep the camera off our end"

He patched the call through on the main screen. Everyone gathered. The first thing they saw was pretty much everyone in the cabin huddled together, barely standing all with cans, cartons or bottles in their hands and this club music blaring in the background.

_"HEYY!"_ Everyone jeered in my cabin. _"YEAH! WHOOO!"_

"What's going on Michael?" Ratchet asked.

_"SUNDAY FUNDAY YEAH!"_ We all put our hands in the air with the beat of the music. Some others moved away to continue half dancing half falling over. With some actually falling over as the ship rolled.

"You all having fun?" Elita asked to everybody clearly seeing the full situation. The other Autobots apart from Arcee didn't really understand what was happening.

_"YEAH!"_ The song C'mon Get It On by Studio B came on and we all got on our feet and moved to the beat. I picked up the laptop and moved around the cabin introducing everyone to the Autobots. Everyone I was introducing had no idea they were talking to giant alien robots. They all thought they were talking to just a random group of friends I shared a house with in Nevada. Everyone just sort of made some shouting noise at the screen.

June found it all absolutely hilarious. As she was once a medical student, it wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination that she too was similar in college or university. Medical students have a reputation for being the craziest group of students.

The kids didn't know what to make of it. They were way too young to understand as they wouldn't be allowed to drink until they were twenty one. Also they had never seen me properly drunk.

The next track came on, Operation Blade by Public Domain. And we all put out hands up. The place turned into a full on rave.

The Autobot base was filled will a huge base and _'BASE IN THE PLACE, LONDON!'_ after that the noise was so loud, Ratchet muted the sound finding the music offensive.

Some of the guys had torches and we turned off the cabin lights and we dance in the dark with torch lights waving all over the place. We all started jumping up and down to the beat.

The Autobots decided it was probably best to leave me to it. So Ratchet cut the link.

"Well, at least he's enjoying himself" Elita said.

"What was all that about?" Jack asked his mother.

"That's what happens when you drink. If I ever catch you like that I will ground you till your thirty"

"It's just glad to see that he is happy. In his own way" Optimus said. Everyone nodded in agreement quietly.

The next morning arrived. I woke up in the crew's recreation room. My feet were on a chair with the rest of me on the floor. I was trying to figure out how I got there. I looked at the clock. It was six in the morning.

"Oh, shit"

I was late for watch. I got up and ran to the bridge. I pushed the heavy door and scrabbled up the staircase onto the bridge.

"Sorry I'm late Chief" I said into the pitch black. I had no idea where he was.

"That's ok. No harm done, but please don't make a habit of it in the future" Came his voice from somewhere roughly in front of me.

I went and did my own checks on things. I checked the radars, ECDIS, AIS, the chart and a bunch of other things. It was a long list, everything necessary. With all that checked I did a quick check with the binoculars and there were no lights. With everything all good I sat down on the black leather chair in front of the control panel and settled down for the remaining two hours of watch.

The rest of the day was a breeze. Chief said I could have the rest of the day off to recover from the night before. So no deck work and no afternoon watch. The subsequent days were rather dull and everything had returned to normal as we were all stretching ourselves for this long journey. We could afford to spend all our energy so early on.

So all my days were very similar. Up at half three in the morning for the four to eight watch. Breakfast. Rest till lunch and at one I do some work with the third officer till half three then I would be back on the bridge for the afternoon four to eight watch. Simple. I did a number of things with the third officer, resorting the fire plans. Checking fire extinguishers and checking the BA's as well as the emergency escape breathing devices or EEBD's as they are known as. Redid some stencils that were fading. I had learnt quite a number of stuff about the role of the third officer which is the ships safety officer. It made me think, I could use this new found knowledge back at base. Only now did I realise there was a lack of basic safety equipment in the base. Sure it was safe from Decepticon attack but if there was a fire or another emergency, we might not be able to deal with it. Maybe I could take on the role as base safety officer. It also made me realise, the others had never been trained to deal with fires. I knew what to do so maybe I should teach them. I was starting to think like a third officer. It was a good sign.

We had a week to go before we reached the Panama Canal. It was coming to noon and I made a call to home. They were expecting me to call so Elita was already waiting to answer the call.

_"Hello"_ She answered.

"Hi"

_"How are you?" _

"Doing well thanks, it's rather warm in the Caribbean Sea, I didn't think it would be so humid. My cabin is a bit stuffy but apart from that, everything is good"

_"So what have you been up to?" _

I told her about the work I had been doing with John and my suggestions about improving safety systems in the base. She agreed with me on just about all my points even given demonstrations on tackling fires.

_"So what will you be up to in the future?"_

"Well, I was speaking to the captain about what I will be doing while going through the canal, and he asked me if I would like to hand steer the whole way"

_"Wow, that's a good thing, yes?"_

"Indeed. It's bloody difficult though, and there could be dire consequences if I get it wrong, but I'm ready for it"

_"What are the consequences?" _

"Err, massive delays in most of the world's trade on everything, oil, food, just about everything you can think of"

_"That's a massive responsibility. You looking forward to it"_

"Definitely"

The fire alarm beeped.

_"What was that?"_ Elita was alarmed by it.

"Don't worry, Johns just ending his watch. For the noon report he has to check it works along with the horns. And sure enough I could hear the fog horn go off and so to did the deck horns go off. Then there was an announcement by John _"Attention all crew, attention all crew. Tonight we have one hour retard. I repeat tonight we have one hour retard"_

"Yes, extra hour in bed" I said triumphantly.

_"How's your bed?"_ She asked.

"Meh, alright I suppose. Better than before, but it is nothing like sleeping in your arms"

_"Aw, you're so sweet, you know that?"_

"Yeah, I do. Can't wait to get back and be in your arms again. I miss you"

_"And I miss you too. I've got to get going. I'm due to roll out for a patrol. I send you lots of kisses and I will be here waiting for you. Bye for now"_

"Bye" The link was cut.

A week later, we had cleared the Panama Canal with no problems. Although I did scrape the ship against the side of the Gatun Lock, but then again I only had thirty centimetre clearance with a ship that is roughly forty something meters wide. We had crossed the equator and it was my turn to face king Neptune as a rite of passage for anyone you crosses it for the first time at sea. I had a bucket of fish heads poured over my head and dunked into a bath of baked beans and a whole load of silly things that was up there with funny things I have done, without alcohol.

We came into the port of Lima, Peru to offload over a thousand cars. I went on shore leave and bought a rug made of Alpaca fur which was incredibly soft, and also I got for only ten dollars so it was a right bargain. We left after a day in port and headed south hugging the Chilean coast. I took some great photos of the Andes Mountains. We came into the port of Iquique for twelve hours and headed again south to the port of Valparaiso. I again went on shore leave. The captain gave me five hundred dollars to buy protein powder as he decided to do some body building as he couldn't take it any longer that they was someone else on the ship stronger than him. I bought tonnes of chocolate as I had a sudden craving for than when we finally ran out of the stuff on board. And I went out at night with a few others and hit the bars while the opportunity was there. I only had drinks and nothing else. I didn't want Arcee of Elita breathing down my neck if they thought I was up to a certain kind of no good.

So we left the next morning on our way back to Europe with the ship now empty. Or so I thought.

Two days out of Valparaiso I came onto the bridge at four in the morning for watch. Chief and I did the usual for the handover of watch. Second told us we had received a message from London during the night about a slight change in the seclude and that there was a crew change.

Chief read the piece of paper and handed it to me "You're not going to believe this" He told me as he passed it to me. I read it too ad had to read it a second time for it to sink in. We were making a stop in Baltimore in the US where the entire crew was being changed excepted for John, the third engineer and myself. And I mean everyone, even the cook and the steward. I was stunned as this just doesn't happen. It can, but it just doesn't. I couldn't explain it. It made no sense, but they were our orders.


	9. Chapter 9

Again we crossed the equator and passed through the Panama Canal. Again with no problems and headed for Baltimore and reached it in a matter of days. Everyone who was leaving was gutted because they didn't want to leave now as they needed to earn money as times were hard for some. I was gutted because we all got on so well and would be a sad to see them go.

Then the day arrived as we came in to port. We were taking a batch of Chevrolet's and Dodges for the European markets. While I was on watch with John the new crew came with John and others handing over duties while I kept things going on the car decks and finally said goodbye to those leaving. As the new crew came on board I had a bad feeling about them. I couldn't explain it but they all seemed a bit off with me. So much so, they all looked at me as if I had just killed their cat. Why I don't know. For the rest of the day I just got my head down and got on with work. We weren't in port for long as we left the same day. Again I did hand steering which was a breeze.

At the end of the day I went for dinner and when I walked in everyone just stared at me, not speaking. I was certainly unnerved by it all. I went to get my food and the new cook gave me a dirty look. I ate my food quickly so to get out of there as quickly as possible.

It was the next day, December 12th and it wasn't good either. I got up as usual and was on the bridge for five to four as I didn't want to get on the wrong foot with the new chief officer. I did all of my usual checks on the bridge and sat down. The chief came on the bridge and saw me sitting down "CADET, GET ON YOUR FEET, NOW!" He barked at me.

"Sorry sir, I-"

"I don't want to hear it Rickers, you're a cadet, not an officer"

"Actually chief, I think you'll find that I am" I corrected him.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!"

I thought it best to shut up there.

"Now considering the swell during the night, I want you to check in case any cargo shifted"

"But chief it was a flat calm last night. There was no swell, so no cargo had shifted"

"THAT WAS AN ORDER. NOW, DO IT!"

I headed off the bridge and did what he asked and like I told him, nothing had shifted.

I came back to bridge forty five minutes later feeling really annoyed with the chief. "Every things fine, like I said" I told him with a voice that clearly showed my distaste to him.

"I don't like your tone Rickers. And you will address me as sir. Is that clear?"

"Crystal"

"Crystal, what?"

"Crystal, sir" I said through gritted teeth. Why was he acting like this?

"Get out of my sight, I've had enough of your attitude"

"Fine, sir" I left the bridge before he wound me up so much that I would do something I would regret.

Later in the day I was doing some deck work with John. Today we were updating all the paperwork that is affected by a crew change.

"Look I don't know why, John. But it's pretty obvious that everyone seems to have an axe to grind when it comes to me" I said sounded deflated.

"I don't get it. First of all, why did the whole crew change and why have all been hostile to you?"

"Well let's just crack on with this, so what's first?"

"First we need to change the crew list, so we need their passports and discharge books"

I handed him the box containing them. He pulled out the first one which was the captain. He showed me how to enter the information into the list and how it all arranged. After that he let me do a few. We went through them by order of rank. By now we had got to the second engineer when we both noticed something odd.

"Michael, look at the dates of issues for their certificates"

So I did and I saw that they were all the same for the entire new crew.

"But that doesn't make any sense. How can they all have got their COC's on the same day?" I asked him.

"They couldn't have. If it was only two or three I wouldn't make much out of it. But this is strange. Like real strange. We should call this into London"

"No"

"Why?"

"I think I might an idea what's going on. I'm going to call someone for some help shore side. But for now we keep this to ourselves"

"Who made you the expert on such matters?" He asked.

"Oh trust me, you wouldn't believe half the stuff I've got involved in" I left his cabin and went back to mine. I locked the door and close the curtains. I turned my laptop on and as soon as, I called the Autobot base.

Elita answered _"Michael, we weren't expecting you to call. Everything going well?"_

"No not really"

_"Are you ok?"_

"I'll be fine, just a bit dejected from this morning"

_"What happened?"_

"To keep it short. I had a spat at the chief"

_"Why?"_

"No idea. It would seem that everyone is against me. I think I have a horrible feeling I know what it's all about"

_"It couldn't be the Russians? Could it?"_

"No, not their style. Something else"

The ship shook violently. "Jesus Christ, that was a hell of the wave"

_"You ok?"_ She asked with concern.

"Yeah I'm fine. Damn"

_"What? What is it?"_ She saw my silence.

"My bottle collection just fell over. Luckily it isn't broken. Anyway, the third and I have discovered something odd?"

"What?"

My cabin phone started ringing. I picked it up "Cadet speaking"

_"Rickers, captain here. Meet me on the bridge"_

"Umm, ok sure. Sir" I hung the phone. "Sorry Elita, got to go. I don't like this" I was sounding nervous.

_"Stay safe"_

"Will do" I left my cabin and headed straight for the bridge. I opened the door. As I did there was a current of air holding it closed. I put some force into it and it opened. For some reason the bridge wings doors were open. Didn't see why considering it was cold today. I walked up the flight of stairs and step into the centre of the bridge. The captain was standing with both the second and chief officer's. "Captain, you called me?"

"Mr Rickers. Feeling good today?"

"Could be better"

"I heard you had a… disagreement with the chief officer this morning. Is this true?"

"You could say that"

"Well I just hope that there won't be any more problems in the future. You could go far, if you learn to reign it in a bit"

"Yes Captain. Is that all sir?"

"No not quite. You see we have a guest on board"

"A guest? There's no passengers on board"

"Oh he isn't a passenger. In fact he just dropped in now to say hi"

I was thinking about what he was saying. Dropping in. The ship shuddering for no apparent reason. A horrible, stomach churning thought came to my mind. I instinctively took a step back towards the stairs and run back to my cabin and call for the Autobots help. Two A/B's hiding behind me came on both sides held on tight to my arms, keeping me still.

"Where do you think you're heading off to? I haven't dismissed you yet. Also our guest has come to see you, personally. So at least say hello" He said the last sentence loudly.

I looked out of the windows and my suspicions were confirmed as the huge face of Megatron filled the vision of them.

"Ah, we meet again at last" Megatron said like he was glad to see me. I shook the one guy of and punched the other hard in the face then reared my arm back and elbowed the first one as well in the face. They both went down. I leapt down the bridge stairs, through the heavy door and ran back to my cabin.

On the PA came the captains voice _"Attention all crew, attention all crew. Bring cadet Rickers to the bridge" _

I got into my cabin and dived for my bedside cupboard and taped to the topside inside was my Glock 17 fully loaded. I ripped it from the tape, pulled the slide back and took the safety off. I left my cabin again and headed to the aft. One of the O/S's came out of his cabin, saw me and made a run for me. I shot once through the head. He died instantly.

I ran out through the aft accommodation door. Outside were two Decepticons I knew. One personally. Starscream and Arachnid. Luckily I was underneath the canopy headed for the lift so for them to grab me wasn't so easy. I sprinted the distance whiling shouting at them "FUCK YOU!" and quickly made my way down the stairwell. I wasn't risking taking the lift. I got to deck seven as that was full of cars so it would have many hiding places. I crept quietly through the tight gaps between the vehicles. I could hear the others enter the deck as well. I stopped and lied flat on the deck to see where their feet were.

With all of the lashings it was difficult. The PA went off _"Mr Rickers, you can't hide forever, the Autobots don't know of your situation so they won't be coming to you rescue. Just give yourself up now before something bad happens. I know you can hear me"_

I saw the foot of someone approaching me. They hadn't shouted out to the others that he spotted me. He was off to my right, roughly three car widths away. I moved between the rows of cars so to meet up with him. I hid behind one car and listened to his approach. I took a chance at getting a glimpse of who it was. It was the boson. He was on the rather large size, making Bulkhead look trim. He was roughly in his late forties, early fifties. Wore glasses and had a short white goatee beard. He was brandishing his seaman's knife. I came to the conclusion that I could quite easily overpower him, so I stowed the gun for the time being. I listened to the sound of his boots stepping of the metal deck. As it was day time he was wearing his PPE for deck work, so I knew his full inventory. Nothing he had was of real concern to me. His foot came right by my side. He saw me but before he could broadcast that information to the others I shot up and clamp my hand over his mouth and forced his whole body backwards. The back of his head slammed into the bonnet of another car. He was still alive. With a force which people of only my size and build could muster, I force his shoulder down as it was over the edge. The force was enough to break his left shoulder. He collapsed on the floor and I watched as he stared right back at me breathing out his final breath.

I said nothing to him. No clever or witty remark. There was nothing cool about it. I had just killed a man, and because of me a family will be grieving. It was not the actions of a hero, it was the actions of a cold hearted killer. Which is what I am, and have been for a long time.

"Over there!" I spotted the one who shouted and as quick as he could react I pulled out my Glock and planted a bullet into his cranium. He went down instantly.

The others looked in his direction then traced the sound of the gun shot right back to me. There was five of them and all at the same in almost perfect unison they all pulled out side arms. I was slightly stunned, they were all carrying guns the whole time. All were Beretta 92's. I hit the deck, literally, as they opened fire. Bullets ricocheted all over the place, sparks were flying and shards of broken glass rained down. I tried to shoot one in the foot but missed. I gave on a second go and I made a break for it. I quickly got to my feet and sprinted to short distance to the doorway for the stairwell jumping over the lashings like hurdles in a athletics competition.

I got to the door and another five men appeared. It was the majority of the engineering department. Again, all with Beretta 92's.

"Drop it Rickers, you've lost" Said the point man who was a motorman. I placed the gun on the floor carefully so to make sure it would accidentally go off.

"Kick it away" He ordered. I placed my foot on it and slid it beyond my reach.

"On your knees, hands behind your head" I did just that. He ordered two others to move in the one guy pulled my arms to behind my back while the other cuffed them with a cable tie. They lifted me onto feet and led me towards the stairwell with two in front, the two holding me and the ring leader following behind.

We came out onto into the open on deck twelve. The wind had picked up and the sky was getting darker as the clouds rolled in. Talk about pathetic fallacy. They led me around the port side of the accommodation block towards the foredeck in front of the bridge.

Assembled there was just about the rest of the entire crew except for the second officer and the first engineer as it was they who were on watch. The group of five stood me in front of Megatron with Arachnid to his left and Starscream to his right. The one got his knife out and cut through the cable tie, freeing my arms. The five bowed at Megatron and walked away backwards so that their backs weren't turned to him as a sign of respect, or fear of him.

I looked at Arachnid and made a clicking noise with my tongue "Miss me?" She seemed infuriated that I didn't appear to be the slightest bit afraid. In truth I was, but I wasn't going to show it.

Megatron growled as my attention wasn't on him "Oh sorry didn't see you there" I said to him. He snarled, I again showed no fear. Unlike our last meeting, I now knew what I was facing. Which was good because now I could think of plans without blind panic which the unknown can do to the mind.

"You don't seem afraid" He finally said.

"Oh sorry, were you expecting a little human, who was scared and terrified hoping that the Autobots to come to the rescue?" I said in a put on voice. "Sorry… mate. I don't normally fit that role. But I could if you like" I got on my knees and with my hands clasped together and with a clearly faked tone I looked up at him "Please don't hurt me, I'm too young to die" I stood up again. "Did you really think I was going to be like that? You Con's are like every single villain I have ever come across. You're so predictable, it's actually rather boring"

"Have you quite finished speaking, fleshing?"

"Not really, I'm Welsh and we Welsh could rant on forever if I really wanted to" I said in a rough sounding Welsh accent which made me sound like Rhod Gilbert.

"You are probably wondering why I am wasting my time on such a pathetic creature like you?"

Even though it was a rhetorical question, I thought I'd annoy him by answering "The though had across me-"

"Silence!" He barked "Now tell me human, what do you see in front of you?"

"Well I was going to say the greatest threat to humanity. But what I really see is a psychopath who until recently worked alone because she didn't like to share. A megalomaniac with anger management issues and a serious superiority complex. And I see someone who has problems with following the chain of command, where's high heels which makes him look like a div, and sounds slightly Irish. Also why is he your second in command? He's a backstabbing idiot. I mean are you on something? Because if you are, can I have some?"

That really infuriated him. But kept his cool just enough.

"You really know how to get yourself easily killed"

"But I always know how to not get killed. Let's just end with the pleasantries and get to the point"

"Ok, one question first. Where is the Autobot base?"

I snorted "Really?"

His face remained the same, it was anger but not to intimidate me, just so I knew he was on a short fuse.

"Yeah, mate if you just take a left down there and go on for ten minutes you'll see it on your right" I said like someone does giving directions, gesturing with my hands as I did.

He was growing really impatient with me. I felt good knowing I could so easily wind him up. It was extremely funny. "Oh, come on I'm not going to tell you. Even you know that, so why waste your time?"

"So, you're going to go that way, are you? I think this will make you change your mind. Bring them out" He ordered the crew. They brought forward both John and the third engineer. "Tell me where their base is or they will die"

"No, I won't. You know that as well as I do. There's no point in killing them, so tell them to stand down"

"You're in no position to be making demands, tell me the location of their base?"

"I'll never betray them, never"

Megatron looked right at me and thought about it. He quickly realised what I was saying was true. He smirked.

"Well considering the lengths Arachnid went to, to get answers from you before. I believe you that you won't say. However you must realise I don't make empty threats. Kill them"

"NO!"

They were both shot in the back of the head and collapsed on the deck. The deck was turned red in the rough area in front of them. Their bodies were quickly dragged to the edge and thrown overboard. I stared in utter shock. I didn't think he would do it.

"Well it would seem I no longer have a bargaining chip. But it doesn't matter, I will find out the location soon enough anyway. I have other ways of getting it"

"Why?"

"Who are you to ask me such questions. They are just humans, and they were of no use to me, why should I care what happens to vermin"

He picked me up and gripped me tightly. I struggled in his vice like grip.

"To you why the real reason I'm here?"

"I'm guessing you're going to tell me anyway"

"You see unlike my soldiers, I'm able to see past the stigma that humans are useless. Those three children have been very annoying little pests, little pests that prove difficult to crush. But you are something different. Since you came on the scene I've began to notice that Optimus and his Autobots have significantly changed their tactics and you manage to bring Elita onto the scene as well. Arachnid has fully briefed me all about you. You've been a very busy human, haven't you? I know you have been advising the Autobots to your way of combat. Advise that has giving Optimus an advantage. And we can't have that. As much as I would like to remove his head for now simply taking away that advantage is good enough for now. So that's why I'm here. I'm here to get rid of you"

I started to pound his fist trying to free myself. But to no avail.

"Your puny body is no match for my strength HA HA HA!"

I was whimpering and shaking. I knew I was a goner.

"Captain, you and your crew have served me well"

"Thank you my lord" The captain said while bowing. So did the rest of the crew. They all chanted "ALL HAIL LORD MEGATRON!"

I looked down at them "You all nuts. Why are you doing this?"

Megatron answered "They are doing this for a reward"

"Which is?"

"They work for me and I won't kill them, simple as that"

He outstretched his arm so that I was held over the ships side.

"Please don't" I pleaded.

"Before I drop you to your fate. I will let you in on a secret. I knew you were here because of someone working with the Autobots. Who, I won't say. He has proven to be useful"

"You mean a mole?"

He simply nodded. Now I knew there was no point in pleading for him to not drop me. His hand let go and I dropped forty meters down into the icy waters screaming.

I hit the water, as I did I forced myself not to let the cold shock drown me. I kept going deeper and deeper into the sea. I could see the bubbles ascending. Then they stopped and went in reverse going down. I was floating back up to the surface. When I surfaced I waited till I stopped bobbing up and down, then I breathed again. I did all the things I was taught from the sea survival course from the academy. I crossed my legs, kept my arms tight to my side and tilted my head back. Doing this traps the three main areas of heat loss. The groin, the armpits and the back of the neck. While doing this I always made sure I had air in my lungs to help keep me afloat as I had no lifejacket. I could see the ship ever slowly sail away. There was nothing more I could do now. This was probably the worst way to die. There was no chance of rescue out here and I didn't have long. I would most likely have a good few hours at most. I would be lucky just to see the next day. But I would certainly be unconscious by then, or dead.

The weather got progressively worse and worse. The wind was picking up and it started raining. And most importantly, it was getting colder. I was trying to keep myself calm but it wasn't working. How could you? I was facing certain death. And it was going to be eventual. It wasn't a case of if. It was a case of when.

My body was beyond the point of shivering. Slowly I felt myself slowly slipping away. I tried to keep myself awake but within three hours of being dropped I slipped into unconsciousness.

Back at the Autobot base it was just another normal day. The kids were at the base as their Christmas holiday had just started. They were all starting to gear themselves up for the big day. And for my arrival which wasn't going to happen.

Optimus entered the control room "Ratchet, how is Michaels progress?" He asked.

"I don't know Optimus. The GPS system has gone down, again. Until it comes back up again I won't know the position of his ship"

"Ratchet" Elita came over hear them discuss about me "Have you tried his personal tracking beacon?"

Without saying anything he typed away as if he had already thought of it. "That's odd"

"What?" Elita asked.

"Michael's signal isn't moving"

"What do you mean?"

"Precisely that. He isn't moving"

Raff came over to the giant keyboard "Did you say you couldn't get a GPS signal from the ship?"

"Yes" Ratchet said annoyed at what he seemed as a stupid question.

"Because there are other ships in the area which are broadcasting"

Elita weighed all the facts "Ratchet is there any way you could track the ship by other means?"

"I suppose if I back traced it's heat plume from its last know position I could followed it up to the present time"

"Do it" Optimus ordered.

Ratchet typed away. He brought up the time and position of the last GPS signal. Then he connected to military satellites and identified all the heat plumes in a fifty mile radius, only one was almost exactly on the mark. He advanced the time in triple speed and kept track of the heat plume till the present time. Then he plotted the position from my personal beacon and put it on the map.

"By the All- Spark. Michaels signal is well over seventy miles from the ships position"

All the other Autobots and Jack and Miko came towards the main computer.

"Is it possible that he dropped it over board?" Jack asked.

"Unlikely" Ratchet started "That tag of his was designed so it wouldn't accidentally come off, and he wouldn't take it off either"

"He said he discovered something earlier today" Elita said, more to herself than anyone else.

"What do you mean?" Ratchet asked.

"He called earlier today. He had a problem with the chief officer and he said that he discovered something. But before he could say he was told to go to the bridge. He was scared of something. Like he knew for sure. He was trying to hide his fear but I could see it. Something terrible has happened"

"Then there is no time to lose" Optimus stated. "Michael is most likely in distress"

"Optimus, I can't bridge you there. You wouldn't last long in the water" Ratchet told him.

"Then we must use the boat"

"Who can drive it? Michaels our naval expert"

"I will" Jack said loudly with a slight hint of pride. Everyone looked at him. "I'm the next best person to pilot it"

"Very well. Autobots, prepare the boat for launch" He ordered.

Bulkhead and Bumblebee went to where the boat was stored away.

"Arcee I want you to go as well. You're the only Autobot who can ride along. Just in case there are any Decepticons"

"Yes Optimus" She went to help Jack wrap up warm.

Elita just looked at the screen staring at the blip.

Bulkhead and Bee pulled the boat which was on a launcher slipway, just like how the RNLI launch their lifeboats. They lined the launcher with the ground bridge. Ratchet came over to inspect it for any faults and gave it the ok.

Arcee was helping Jack into a thick orange anorak as it was so thick he was struggling to get into it. She then helped him into overall trousers. They both made their way to the boat. Optimus opened the hatch on the deck and lifted Arcee into it. And Elita lifted Jack into the cockpit. Jack fired up the engines and they spluttered to life. He put a thumbs up to Optimus who removed the chocks holding the boat till only the release hook was holding it. Jack did up a five point seat belt harness while Arcee closed up the hatch.

Ratchet fired up the ground bridge. Jack held his hand out displaying five with his thumb and fingers and counted down.

When he finished his countdown Ratchet pressed a button on the main computer keyboard and the release hook let go. The boat slid down. The boat slipped through the ground bridge portal and hit the water at high speed. Jack straight away put full power and speeded away into a rough sea.

"Base, successful launch. Searching for him now!" He shouted into the radio.

He went to the first grid to search.

"You ok Arcee?" He shouted to down below.

Arcee stuck her head through the companionway and looked at Jack.

"Fine. You sure you're alright about driving this?"

"Hell I am, I learnt from Michael. You better hunker down for now. This might take some time"

"Ok, let's just hope he's alright"

"Yeah"

Arcee went back below while Jack went back to searching.

The search went on for hours and hours. They were miles away from where they were bridged to.

"Arcee fuels starting to run low. I can slow down a bit to give us an extra hour"

"This is starting to look like a lost cause. Keep searching"

"Ok"

The weather was terrible. Jack was having a hard time seeing anything.

"Jack!" Arcee called out

"What?"

"I'm getting a signal. It close by" She radioed base "Ratchet are there any ships nearby?"

_"No not for sixty miles" _Ratchet replied through the com link that both could hear.

"Jack, heading of one six three"

"One six three, on it"

He swung the boat around and battled the waves in that direction for over half an hour. The sea state was getting worse all the time.

"We right on top it, what do you see?" She asked. Jack looked all over.

He saw my limp lifeless like body floating ten or so meters away "Over there!" He called out.


	10. Chapter 10

Autobot Base

Six days later

I woke up and saw I was in a thick sleeping bag. I tried to sit up but found I couldn't. I saw that for some reason I was restrained. I tried harder and harder, but I couldn't break free. I heard metallic footsteps and saw a giant white and orange robot approach me. My mind couldn't comprehend what I was seeing. I had flashbacks of being held tightly in a giant metal hand and being dropped from a great height. I put two and two together and realised that it was a robot that tried to kill me. Now here was one coming to finish me off. It came closer and closer and leaned down towards me. I started to whimper with fright and started to cry.

"P-Please don't hurt me!"

It backed right off and another giant robot came running into this massive cave of a room I found myself in. This new robot was different. It was pink and silver. For some reason I had different flashbacks. Ones with me being wrapped up in a duvet as it held me in its arms. Not maliciously but lovingly. This one had cared for me before. I could only come up with one reason as to who this one was so I called out to it "Mummy!"

She looked at me confused then looked at the first one.

"I hoped this wouldn't happen" The first one said to the second.

"Ratchet, why is he calling me 'mummy'?" She asked Ratchet as the white and orange one was called.

"It's to do with the cold. I had seen the study by Portsmouth University. It found that prolonged exposer to the cold can cause short term memory loss and also effects metal capabilities. Humans have such fragile minds"

"Please stop slagging off humans and tell me what's going on" She asked while coming to my bedside.

"Simply he is suffering from amnesia and most likely for the time being has the mental capacity of a toddler. Obviously he seems to remember you. Although he can't remember everything, he seems to think that you're his mother. Right now he needs you more than ever. He certainly calmed down when you came in"

"He thinks I'm his mother?" She thought the whole thing was strange but she could see how. I looked at her desperate for her to come closer. She leaned right to my bedside and rested her head on the bed and stoked my head softly saying "Mummy's here. Your safe now" She kissed me softly on the forehead.

Ratchet gently nudged the Pink robot to one side trying to get at me. I saw he was holding a syringe. I didn't like needles one bit. I can't remember much but I had be held down before as I was forcefully injected with a drug with bad effects. I thought it was going to be a repeat of last time. I was terrified. I did the only thing I could do.

"MUMMY!" I cried for her to save me.

She quickly pushed Ratchet away "What do you think you're doing? You're scaring him"

She calmed me down, stroking my head. "Ratchet, what are you trying to do?"

"I was trying to get a blood sample. I believe the blood in his arms and legs have become very de-oxygenated and it will have thickened as a result. If it is then we will need to get that blood out of him, otherwise if it reaches his heart he will have a massive heart attack and almost certainly die"

"Then get June to do it. It's quite clear that he scared of you right now"

He grunted and moved off.

"Thank you" I said to her.

"Anything to keep you safe. Michael, can you tell me what happened?"

I thought hard "No" I looked away, ashamed that I couldn't answer a simple question.

"Hey, hey it's ok. You're here now and that's all that matters"

"Where am I?"

"Why, your home sweetheart. With your family"

"Family?" I did remember I didn't have family apart from her.

"Well, sort of family. Are you hungry?" I nodded very enthusiastically.

"Good. I'll be back in a moment" She kissed me on the forehead and headed away to where ever.

I spent the time familiarizing myself to my surroundings. I could see lots of different medical type stuff. Many of which I had no idea what it did. I also saw familiar and not so familiar equipment, only they were massive. I saw other stuff such as a giant computer screen displaying a weird language I had no hope of reading. The roof was made of rock like the whole room was a cave or something similar.

After a while I ran out of things to look at so I had a go at trying to identify the medical equipment, but I just couldn't remember. Why couldn't I remember? So I worked on that. Why? I remember being held tightly in a metal hand. It wasn't Ratchet's and it certainly was Mummy's, so who? The hand was big and silver. I remember a gigantic cannon thing mounted on the forearm. Then the bicep, if that's what it's called. The shoulders were the shapes of big spikes. Clearly this robot has fighting designed in mind. But the face was a bit of a haze at first. One thing was clear, the eyes were red. That was my starting point. With that slowly the rest became clearer until the whole head was in perfect clarity. I had the mug shot of the whole who tried to kill me.

"Very clever" A voice said. I heard metallic footstep, only they were heavy, thumping and slow. I looked in the direction of the only way into the massive room I was in. I shadow appeared on the far wall of another robot which was much more massive than either Mummy or Ratchet. The shadow got slightly smaller as the robot in question moved from the light source, but as it did the shadow became clearer. The outline was exactly the same to the one I had a mental mug shot of. Then he appeared. The one I now feared the most. I quivered badly. I was more than scared, or even terrified. I was petrified.

He grinned and slowly made his way towards me with his arm extending to grab me.

I shrieked in utter terror. He still slowly approached. He enjoyed hearing me scream in fear of him like it was a drug. He got closer and closer and closer. I tried to break the bonds holding me to the bed, but as hard as I might, I couldn't. He was one step away to finishing me off when Mummy came bursting in and came running to my bedside, completely dismissing the evil robot.

"What is it? You alright?"

I whimpered "He's going to kill me, save me"

"Who's going to kill you?" She asked. How could she not see?

"Mummy he's right behind you" She turned around and looked right at him and then looked back.

"There's no one there"

The evil one manoeuvred around Mummy getting as close as he could. I stared right him, too scared to even make a noise. Then Mummy placed both her hands at each side of my head so I couldn't see except for only straight up. All I could see was her face.

"There's no one there sweetheart, I promise" She said calmly. She removed her hands and the evil robot had gone. It was just a figment of my imagination.

The emotions were too much to bear and I cried my heart out.

She placed her head right beside mine and as best I could I nuzzled her cheek affectionately.

"There, there my sweet little child. Your home now and no one will ever harm you here. Mummy's going to keep you safe"

We stayed like that for a few minutes until she moved back a bit and said "I'll get that soup" She stood back up and was turning around to leave again. I started to panic.

"Don't leave me" I cried. I didn't want to be on my own. She came back and stroked my head soothingly.

"Arcee! Could you come here for a minute?" She called out into the entrance of the room. Moments later another robot appeared. She was considerably smaller than the others. However I did recognise her from before.

"You're the angel" I said to her.

"Excuse me?"

"You're the angel, you saved me from the metal demon"

"Metal demon?" Mummy asked the one called Arcee

"I think he means Megatron" I shivered at the name. So that was the name of the one that tried to kill me, for a second time it turns out.

"Ratchet told us Michael was suffering from some sort of brain damage, like his mind had been scrambled. I thought he was joking with his dry humour"

"No, he wasn't. Could you keep him company for a few minutes? He hallucinated that he saw, I believe to be, Megatron right here. I think he's a bit scared to be left alone"

"Sure"

Mummy looked back at me "I'm only going to be a few minutes" She kissed my forehead and left. Arcee came to my bedside.

"How are you?"

"Ok" I said, slightly nervously.

She chortled "This is very similar to when we first met, remember?"

I shook my head "No"

"Well, after we got you back hear you were unconscious for days. When you woke up and you saw me and Optimus you were trying to hide under the sheets. Remember that?"

I shook my head again "No"

"Is there much you can remember?"

"Not really"

"Let's start with the basics. Your name?"

"Yes"

"Do you remember what your job is?"

"No"

"You drive ships, remember?"

I saw snippets of visions of myself on the bridge of a ship, then another. I nodded. "Yeah, yeah I remember. I remember" I said with some conviction.

"Good what else do you remember about yourself?"

"I remember a flag. I can't remember which country though"

"Can you describe it?"

"Yes, the top is white and the bottom is green with a red dragon in the centre"

"Hang on" She got up and went to the giant computer screen and typed away until an image of the flag I described showed up. "Is this it?"

"Yes, yes that's it"

"That's the flag of Wales. That's where you're from"

"I am?"

"Well, you were actually born in the Falkland Islands, but you did spend the majority of your life in Wales, remember?" I nodded slowly.

After a few minutes of talking, I started to remember the important details about my past. But it was cut short with mummy returning with the soup she was preparing.

She came to my bedside.

"I think I can manage, can I please be untied?"

"I'm sorry, it's for your own health for you to remained tied"

"Please?" I asked more desperately. I tried to break free, however as much as I tried I just couldn't but I could feel the straps were straining.

"I forgot how strong you can be at times. Please you need to stop that, you're going to hurt yourself" I gave up and relaxed against the straps. "Now you need to eat, open wide" So I did and she guided the spoon with tomato soup to its target. She waited for my approval of the soup before continuing, and it was good so she continued to feed me. I wasn't happy about this situation but I could tell there was a really good reason as to why it was happening, so I just accepted it.


	11. Chapter 11

A few days later and I was back to myself. June and Ratchet put me through a treatment for the congealed blood in my arms and legs. As they slowly removed the offending blood they did at a rate for my body to produce new blood cells to replace them. It was sort of like a dialysis treatment. In those days my mind began to unscramble to how it was the last time I was back at the base. It was like going through the mental development of a child in extreme fast forward.

My treatment was over and against the advice of both June and Ratchet I was back on my feet again. I had gone through what happened on board the ship with the Autobots. They were stunned that Megatron had even bothered to search me out. Elita was horrified that I was again on my own to face Megatron myself. She still blames herself for not being there, but as hard as I might, I couldn't get her to see it wasn't.

But there was one thing that disturbed us all. How did Megatron find me? The information of my whereabouts is normally classified through… special arrangements. But it was clear there was a mole somewhere and we had to deal with it.

But where to start? Who was the mole? Is it just one person or a group? Which country or department? And most importantly, how deep does this mole go? Now this is the point where I'd say 'It can't be anyone here' because if there is one very important lesson I have had to learn the hard way was, never trust anybody. But strangely enough the rule I have learn about trust is, don't trust anybody but trust… somebody. Although there was an exception, I knew I could trust the Autobots themselves. The whole notion that they would give me up to the Decepticons was laughable. That was pretty clear after hearing Optimus make speech after speech about protecting humanity and never let a single human die at their hands. So the mole was without a shadow of doubt was not them. But that doesn't really narrow it down. But I had nothing to work on.

This was the discussion going on in my head undisturbed when "Michael" Fowler disturbed me. I swung my office chair by my desk to face him.

"This came through my desk today. It's addressed to you"

"Me? Who from?" I asked quite puzzled.

"I couldn't check it. Diplomatic seal on it" He handed over the A4 size white envelope to me. I looked at it. My name and the address to Fowler's office were in print. On the back was the red seal, it had the stamp of the British Home Office.

"Thanks" Indicating him to go away. Chances were, it was for my eyes only. He took note and went elsewhere. Maybe to chat with the kids who were helping out with cleaning. I wasn't because quite frankly, I needed a break. Even If I wasn't almost killed by Megatron, I still have been working every day for nearly the last two months. I deserved a break.

I broke the seal and pulled out a single page letter. On the top was the stamp and address of the Home Office. However the rest was hand written.

_Dear Mr Rickers_

_In light of recent events it would seem that, what would be two unrelated events are in fact the cause and effect of the other. I had been informed about your recent, setback shall we say and I believe we have some crucial information that you and your friends would be interested in. _

_Would you please at your earliest convenience come and meet me in person at the Home Office._

I looked at the bottom of the page to see you sent the letter. It was none other than the Home Secretary.

I was clearly surprised. I might have even said something out loud as Optimus came over.

"Michael?"

"I think we have something"

Optimus didn't say anything but the expression on his face was for me to continue. "I've been asked to see the Home Secretary. The Home Office seems to have information concerning you in general. Most likely about this mole"

"Optimus" Arcee announced her presence behind Optimus. "As this concerns us, I believe I should go along with him"

I looked right at her, now standing up next to the platform edge "Arcee, this is London we're talking about. First of all it is the most heavily CCTV'd place in the world so there is no way you could transform without being spotted. And…"

"And, what?"

"And as your vehicle mode is a sports bike, I'd say you'd be nicked within ten minutes parked in the London streets"

See turn her head away slightly, she was irritated by this fact "No offence Arcee, but you just couldn't come along, not unless some how you could appear as a human that is"

She turned back to face me "As a matter of fact. I think I could"

Optimus looked from Arcee to me "I have no problem with this. After all it is you who has been invited. It's your decision"

"Fine, ok. So tell me Arcee. How are you going to look like a human?"

So there we were. All of us, the Autobots, the children, Fowler and June in the centre of the control room.

"So Ratchet, just explain it to me in plain English"

"As you know, Arcee has a hologram to help blend in with her vehicle mode. In my own time I had been working on a way to further enhance her hologram should ever the need arise. But like most things, it has some compromises"

"Which are?"

"First Arcee would have to go in a forced power down. And for her to use a fully functioning walking, talking hologram she needs to use this" He show a simple boxed shape electronic device. "It's a holographic projector. However it has a very limited range. Probably twenty meters at most. So if her hologram is to accompany you, you will need to carry this with you. So I've modelled it to look like what you'd call a pager. I know it's out of date by even your technology, but I'm sure you could come up with a story should you need to"

"So all your saying is, Arcee's true form will be here while a hologram she controls follows me, by me clipping this to my belt?"

"When you boil it down, yes. However you must understand that should this device be broken while it is occupied by her, we could lose her programing, her mind if you will"

"Some compromise. Well only if Arcee is ok with that?" I looked up to her. So did everyone else.

"Fine with me. So when do we go?"

"Not until we have finalized the ascetics of your hologram" Ratcheted answered.

"Oh and I'll will give you a run down on human weapons first. It could be dangerous out there"

"Actually, Michael has got a point there. Arcee, your hologram could be severely affected by human weaponry. It could cause massive corruption with your programming if your hologram was hit. In other words you'd be as vulnerable as a human"

"Scrap" Arcee said quietly to herself.

"OIY! I heard that" I said, feeling insulted.

"Well lets sort out the ascetics first" She looked at me, expecting me to come up with suggestions.

"Don't ask me. I don't know anything about woman's fashion" I looked at June. I raised my hands as if saying 'could you?'

"Come with me Arcee, lets sort it out" June gestured for her to follow her towards the main computer. June raced up the stairs and made her way to stand next to the keyboard while giving advice on how the hologram should look.

"I'll set up the target range" I said to no one in particular.

I had a paper target of the typical angry solider roaring at the gunman set up roughly twenty meters away from the firing line. On the table I had an array of different handguns on display. June came towards me holding the device.

"Here you go" She gave me the pager and I clipped it to my belt. I pressed the on button and like in all the Sci-fi films a hologram materialized. The hologram looked very similar to June, like they were sisters. As it turns out the hologram was based on June but the face was slightly different. It was like taking Arcee's actual face but in human form, giving it a very slim jaw. And like June it had black hair which was hair tied back, just like June. But what it was wearing was certainly different to June. It was dressed in a long black trench coat and black trousers with slight flares at the ends of the legs. She wore simple black low heal shoe's which complimented everything else. She looked smart, but too smart.

"You look lovely" I told Arcee. She took it as a simple comment, not a compliment.

"So, what have you got for me?" She asked, getting to the point.

"Ok, first I thought we'd simply go over the basics first. We will only use handguns as anything more will be difficult to hide as it against the law to have a gun in the UK, unless you have a licence, which you only get for rifles. So we are looking for small weapons. Which, by the way is right up my street"

"Your street?"

"Never mind. So let's start with this one" I picked up my own sidearm, a Glock 17 which I've had replaced with a new one, this being a generation four type Glock 17. "Ok, first we check it's empty so we pull back the slide" I pulled it back so she could see inside the chamber, it was empty. I let the slide spring back. "We take our magazine which holds seventeen rounds and slap it home. Pull back on the slide. And now it's ready to fire"

I took aim at the target "Keep your aim steady and a simply trick, always aim slightly lower than your target or the recoil will shoot it slightly above. Ninety five per cent of the time a round will fire above its target. Now you slowly squeeze the trigger. Nice a smooth until…" BANG.

The bullet hit the target straight through the head. Both Arcee and June flinched at the sudden loud noise.

I took the clip out and emptied the chamber, then handed the gun to her. She did everything right the first time. She checked herself it was empty, loaded it and slowly took aim. However she was finding it hard to fire.

"Here" I stood behind her with the same stance as she was and took hold of her hand. I wrapped my finger around hers and gently squeezed it into the trigger. BANG.

The recoil was slightly too much for her as the gun pointed far up.

"Ok, not bad, how about using both hands to steady it" I showed her how by taking the gun back holding it with one hand as normal and the second held around the trigger guard. I hand it back to her and again she tried to fire another round. BANG.

That second shot got its target.

I let her empty the clip for some practice, after she got use to the recoil her aim really improved. Now she was firing at the same level of accuracy as she does in her true form.

"Okay I think you're ready"

"I'm ready when I say I'm ready" She hit back, which surprised me.

"Err, hang on. I'm the expert here. You can stop now"

"How good are you?"

"Take a shot" So she put in a new clip and fired one shot. Before she could do anything else I grabbed the gun from her and without much thought, I fired a shot. The shot I fired was millimetres from her shot. She was stunned.

I pulled out my seaman's knife and threw it behind me with an underarm throw at the target without looking at it. It landed squarely through the target's heart.

"Good enough?" I asked her. She remained there with her mouth gapping wide open. I smirked. "You're ready" I took the clip out from the gun and went over to the target to retrieve my knife. "We better get going" I headed for the main control room, as she had to stay near me, she didn't have much choice but to follow me.

We returned back to the control room. Arcee looked up at the other Autobots an instinctive step back after taking in how big they appear from the perspective of a human. "See what we lot have to deal with" I said to her. She remained silent for the moment. Optimus approached us, Arcee now realizing how much the ground shook as he walked. It was quite clear from her face that she was slightly nervous as she took a step closer to me without realizing it.

"Arcee, are you alright?" Optimus asked as he knelt down to look at her hologram more closely.

"Y-Yes Optimus, it's just everything seems… bigger now. I'll get used to it" She said slowly, and nervously.

"Arcee, would you like to see yourself? Your true form that is" I asked her.

"Umm, ok" She said, again slowly and nervously.

I led her over to the medical bay. In the large chamber, was Arcee's true body held in place, stood up, looking completely lifeless. She walked tentatively as she slowly looked up from her new point of view towards herself, trying to take it all in.

Jack came quickly to her side. "Arcee?" He asked quietly. She turned to face him.

"So this is how you see me huh? I can see now why you made a run for it the first time we met"

"How are you feeling?" He slowly asked, there was great concern for his guardian in his voice.

She took a deep breath "I feel fine, slightly overwhelmed. But fine" They both smiled at each other for a short while.

"Ok, we need to be on our way Arcee" I said, interrupting there moment together.

She started to walk toward my Jaguar. "Arcee?"

"Well, you coming or not?"

"Have you seen the London traffic, we'd be better off on foot" She looked slightly annoyed at the fact that I was telling her she was now only as fast as a human.

"Ratchet, if you please" I said

Ratchet went to the ground bridge control. I handed over to Arcee a Glock 17 and three clips for it. She stowed it away in an inside coat pocket.

The ground bridge opened up. Optimus looked at us both "Arcee, for the time being, I want you to do as Michael says. You are entering a world that he understands greatly so follow his lead, however if you believe the situation gets too dangerous then you can decide to pull out. Michael is that ok with you?"

"Sure"

"Be careful out there"

"Yes, Optimus" We both said and we together walked through the swirling wall of light.


	12. Chapter 12

Hammersmith, London

United Kingdom

We came through the ground bridge and found ourselves in an abandoned building, slowly crumbling away through years of neglect.

Arcee groaned as she held her head with one hand "Oooh, that's never happened before" She groaned.

"Yeah, it was the same for me at first, maybe it's because you're going through it as a human, you feel it like a human" I suggested.

"Maybe. How long will it last?"

"Minute at most"

The building in question was clearly an old hotel before. We were in a corridor with many doorways, some still had doors but they were at the point of falling off the hinges. There was strips of dark red wallpaper on the walls and littered on the floorboards which had started to rot away. The place was awash with graffiti and rubbish and the place stank of ammonia and alcohol.

"Let's get out of here" I said. I carefully made my way down the corridor, being mindful of broken floorboards. They creaked loudly as I stepped. The sound of a underground train rumble past was heard to the one side. Arcee was watching where I stepped and she followed my footsteps, knowing it was safe to step on.

We found a stairwell and went down one floor to the ground level. Soon we got out of the building and into the fresh air of the street.

"Right, first things first we need to get you an identity, you just can't go around saying your name is just Arcee. Nobody will buy it, and we some form of ID anyway"

"Got any ideas?"

"Step into my office over here" I walked to the red phone box I pointed out. I opened the door and shoved a fifty pence coin in, then dialled.

There were a number of rings.

_"Hello"_ Said a croaky, tired voice.

"Hello there, it's Mr Rickers calling"

_"Mr Rickers!"_ The man on the other side was shocked to hear me.

"I need you to do me a favour"

_"Ah, I'm sorry I-I can't Mr Rickers. You know, got to keep meself clean. You understand"_ That pissed me right off.

I kept my voice low and control, but clearly displaying venom "Now listen here, and listen very carefully. I got you off for a multitude of stuff. Now you will do as I say or I will hand you over to the old bill, got that?"

_"M-Mr Rickers, I-I-I'm clean now. If I'm arrested again, I go to jail, you know, suspended sentence and all. I-I can't"_

"If you don't do it I will personally hunt you down and it won't be the police you'd need to call, you'd need to call an ambulance, if you could use a phone. Understand me now?"

_"O-Ok, ok. Want do you want?"_

"I need an ID for a friend. She American, goes by the name of Sadie Darby. I need a passport, driving licence and a visa. Also she's from Jasper, Nevada. Can you handle it?"

_"Um, ok. I'll see what I can do. I'll meet you in the usual place, say… five hours?"_

I looked at my watch, I was one in the afternoon "Five hours. Ok, I'll be there. You better be as well or you know what" I hung up. Arcee was worried about my aggressive nature to the man on the other end.

"That was a guy called Suggs. He liked listening to Madness so his nickname was Suggs. If you need something in London, he's your man"

"What were the threats all about?"

"Oh, don't worry about that for now. That's to do with the past"

I hailed down a cab and an old black cab pulled up. I opened the door and motioned for Arcee to get in, I followed.

"Where to guv?" The cabbie asked.

"Home Office building, mate"

The cabbie pulled away from the kerb and down the road. "You from Wales?"

"Yeah"

"Thought so, could hear the accent there somewhere. What happened in the semi-finals eh? Even I was supporting Wales for the world cup. Can't believe Warburton was sent off though, the team captain of all people" The cabbie said.

"Yeah don't remind me"

"You into Rugby love?" The cabbie asked Arcee.

"Rugby?" Arcee repeated.

"She's American" I told the cabbie.

"Oh so it's American football for you then, or baseball" He asked.

Arcee just shrugged, clearly not getting involved in the conversation.

Home Office Head Quarters

London SW1

The cab pulled up by the main entrance to the modern building which was built in 2005 when they moved from the hideous sixties block building that was in Queen Anne's Gate. We both came into a large open space with a marble floor and walls of glass which separated the offices on the many floors.

We came to reception desk where there were a number of people queuing to be dealt with. We didn't wait long, only a few minutes. We both approached the desk.

"How can I help?" The gentleman behind the desk asked.

"We have a meeting the Home Secretary. My name is Mr Rickers"

He looked quite stunned. Usually anyone who had a meeting with the Home Secretary, they'd know about it. But it was clear he didn't know about it.

"One moment" He picked up the desk phone and quietly spoke to someone.

"Please just wait a minute. Someone will be down shortly"

"Thank you" I said to him.

We stood there for a few minutes in complete silence. Arcee never once asked what was going on. A man in his fifties approached us. "Mr Rickers?"

"That's me" I answered.

"Hello, I'm Mr McGrath the Home Secretary's assistant. If you'll follow me, I will take you to him"

"Thank you. Also this is my friend, Miss Darby" I said to McGrath using Arcee's alias.

"How do you do?" McGrath asked shaking her hand.

"Fine thank you" Arcee replied.

McGrath walked the way he came from the one side of the desk, indicating for us to follow.

We followed him into a small room very close by. It was the security office.

"Sorry about this, but we have to do this. Security is very tight around here. Can't be too careful, right? I have to ask if you have anything on you that you shouldn't have?"

"We are both carrying firearms and I also carry a knife"

I pulled out the gun and knife and handed it to the security guard in the office, Arcee followed as well.

"Do you have clearance for those?" He asked.

"Code Mike, Delta, Whiskey, Whiskey, Six" I told him. The security guard type into the Home Office server and my file popped up on the screen. The assistant checked over the file.

"Ok, you can collect them when you leave. No weapons are allowed beyond here"

"Fair enough" I commented.

"If you will follow me" He said.

We followed him up the stairs to the top floor. Through a long corridor. This was a part where the walls weren't glass for privacy. There was a double oak door which we came though into a fairly substantial office space. There were leather seats and a large desk with another set of double oak door to one side.

"If you'll take a seat, I'll inform the Home Secretary you're here"

"Thank you"

We sat down next to each other. Arcee was looking all around, she'd never been inside an office before, or even been inside a building before where she couldn't fit, so this was all new to her.

"You ok?" I asked.

She smiled at me "Fine thanks, just taking it all in"

The doors to the other room opened again and McGrath came out "The Home Secretary will see you now"

We both stood up and stepped into the other office. McGrath closed the door behind us. Their standing like any statesman was the Home Secretary, he was taller than the TV suggested, but he was still a lot shorter than me, most people were.

He padded around the large mahogany desk with his hand out. "Mr Michael James Rickers. I've heard a lot about you, finally good to meet you at last" He said while shaking my hand.

"Pleasure the meet you Home Secretary" I gestured to Arcee "This is my friend Miss Sadie Darby"

"Nice to meet you" He said, shaking her hand, very gentleman like.

"Same" She replied.

"Please take a seat" He offered, so we took one on the one side of the desk. He sat down on the other.

"I got your letter you said you had some information?"

"Sorry, before we start" He leaned other the desk to whisper to me only "Does she know about the Autobots?"

"Oh, certainly" I looked at her "You know the Autobots right?"

Arcee seemed stunned by the question. She looked at the Home Secretary. "My real name is Arcee, second in command of the Autobots on Earth"

The Home Secretary thought it was a joke "No offence, but aren't the Autobots meant to be giant robotic beings?"

Arcee's hologram flickered for a moment deliberately "Hologram" She simply explained.

"Amazing" He said, truly stunned.

"You have something for me?" I brought him back to reality.

"Oh yes, yes" He opened a draw, fumbling around for something. He pulled out a thick file and passed it over to me.

"Mr Rickers, as you probably heard we lost some files a few months back"

"Yes it was all over the news"

"Well unfortunately, we still haven't found them. I asked you to come here today to ask you if you will help in retrieving those files"

"What was in those files that have made you so desperate as to call me?"

"Look inside. It's a list of all the files that were stolen"

I opened up the file and on the first page was a simple but long list on file names. I took a quick glance at it. I didn't see much of any importance to me.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand"

"There's a file under the name of Custodes terrae"

I skimmed the list till I saw that file name "Yeah, I see it. What does it contain?"

"There a page in that file which list all that's in file Custodes terrae. It's all in alphabetical order"

So I flicked through the many sheets of paper. I went through all the A's then the B's. I slowed the pace in the C's till I saw the document Custodes terrae. I pulled out the paper and quickly looked at the list on that piece of paper. I looked at the Home Secretary with shock. My throat went dry and my eyes wide open.

"What is it Michael?" Arcee asked with concern. I passed the sheet over to her and she began to read it too. I stared at the Home Secretary with shock, anger and a range of other emotions surging though me. I looked back at Arcee. Her face became exactly the same as mine was.

"I-I don't believe this" Was all she could say. "But how did you get all this in the first place? That's everything about us"

"When we first heard that the Americans were harbouring you and we found out how you were defending the planet. We thought that the Americans might screw it up. So we did all we could to secretly obtain that information from them. Find all the possible leaks. Then seal them up, without the Americans knowing. It was our way of helping. But somehow those files we had were stolen. Mr Rickers. Now do you see why I asked for you? We need that file back as quickly as possible, before more damage is done"

"But hang on a minute. You've got everyone at your disposal looking for it. Why me?"

"To tell you the truth, very few are looking for it. As far as most people are concerned. It was retrieved in a matter of days. They think we've got it back. Just imagine if the press hear about it?"

"Sorry, let me get this straight. Are you ordering me to look for you?"

"Simply, yes"

"You know I don't do errands for the service anymore. So you can't order me around. I left"

"Nobody leaves the service Mr Rickers. Neither can you. And you will do as I order you"

"Why?"

"You were born in the Falklands, right?"

I nodded "Yes"

"Then that means you're an overseas national. If you don't do this, I will have you deported back there"

"Why would you do that? After everything he did for your country?" Arcee protested.

"That's politics" He simply said.

"Well if you do. We will take him in. One in particular has taking responsibility of him. Do what you want. He will always have a home with us"

I just shrugged.

"I thought you be like that Mr Rickers. I was told you sometimes have a blasé attitude" He opened the same draw again and pulled out another file of the same thickness. "This is your file. Everything you've done we've got in here. Everything since you were fourteen. Even that balls up of yours two years ago. You remember that don't you. If you refuse to search for the missing files, your file will be declassified. You will be prosecuted. You will be convicted. You will spend the rest of your life in prison"

"So I don't have much of a choice then?"

"No Mr Rickers. You don't"

"Fine. Where do you want me to start?"

"I got a message through GCHQ to pass on to you" Once again he dug into the draw and pulled out a postcard which he handed to me. "No idea what it means, but I think you do"

I inspected it carefully. It had a photo of St James' Park. There was some typical writing about someone's time they spent in London. Arcee closely inspected it as well but couldn't make sense of it.

"I know what it is" I said.

"Well I won't hold you up any longer" He stood up and so did we. He shook my hand "Thank you for doing this. We all very much appreciate this Mr Rickers" He said shaking my hand.

"Yeah, I'm sure you do" I said back to him, with a hint of sarcasm.

"So what was that all about?" Arcee asked as we walked through St James' Park.

"What was what about?"

"The Home Secretary threating you"

"There are some people who don't like me within certain branches of government. Before I used to drift around aimlessly"

"I remember you saying"

"Well I used to do quick, simple, cash in hand jobs which was how I got by. But there were times where I couldn't find work. During those times I would end up doing a… different type of work"

She looked at me, telling me to go on.

"Sometimes the service would end up in situations that can't be resolved by someone on their payroll. Diplomatic reasons and other such stuff. So I was asked if I could… participate"

"I don't understand"

"I was a hired gun in other words. I've been asked to eliminate certain people. People if eliminated by the service could… damage international relations shall we say"

"Sorry. Just so I'm completely clear on this. You were paid to kill people?"

I simply nodded. Her face was shock. But she was trying to not let it show. "Why?"

"Listen. You have to understand. These were people who would have hurt or killed innocent civilians. And I was desperate for money. I still had to pay for food who know"

"Why couldn't…" She looked for a word "they do it? Why you?"

"Arcee" I started. "You've been in a war where the battle lines are clear for everyone to see. If someone had to be killed for the safety of the innocent then that someone gets killed. Simple as that. You've got to understand. I too am involved in a war. I have been fighting in this war well before I might you guys. But it's a different type of war. A war in the shadow's. There are no great victories, no crushing defeats, no distinct lines. Hell, even your own side isn't certain. It's just casualties. And most people have no idea it's going on all around them. But also it is a war that will never be decided, ever. That's what you've got to get your head around. It's a whole different type of ballgame"

"So, why are we here then?" She asked, moving the conversation along.

"We're here because of this" I pulled out the postcard.

Her face was blank.

"It's a message for a meet. When, where and who"

"How?"

"Quite simple really. The location? The photo on it is here. When? That's the postmark date and time. Who? That's the tricky one. The copyright has the name of a photographer, that's the keyword. And the alphabet is rearranged in code agreed by the relevant parties. Whoever's name is on the postcard, that tells whoever what code to use. Simple once you know how. The name itself is hidden in the writing on the back"

"Not bad. So, who are we meeting?"

"I don't know his real name. He's known as Control. He is high up in the service. And he was my handler for the… odd jobs I did"

"When do we meet this Control?"

I looked at my watch "Ten minutes. Time to get a coffee or something" I led her over to a small mobile stall selling hot drinks.

We sat at bench overlooking the small lake which was perfectly still in the cold crisp winter air. I bought a bag of seeds to show Arcee the simple delights such as feeding the pigeons. She liked how they would jostle for the seeds then all fly away at any sudden noises. She found the whole thing amusing. She probably enjoyed the simple peace of it all. Something to take her mind off things.

"The simple delights of the city life" I said, then taking another sip of my latte.

A lone man came down the path. He was dressed all in black. But he did have an expensive long thick overcoat on him. He also wore black leather gloves to keep his hands warm. He was in his mid-fifties with his hair thinning and the years starting to show. He came to the bench and sat down next to us without looking right at us.

"It's been a while Michael. Never expected to be seeing you again. How's life in the Merchant Navy going?"

"Control, it's only been a year, that's nothing by your standards. And you know me, how can I resist?"

"Who's your friend?"

Arcee answered "Hi, my names Sadie. Sadie Darby" She extended her arm to shake hands.

As they did he said "Nice try, Arcee"

"How do you-"

"June and Jack Darby have no relatives by such names. I also know your real names, but without faces. I know you are female, so by deducing the facts I know you're Arcee. But I will admit who had me going for a moment"

"Control, we should keep this short. The situation isn't comfortable at the moment"

"That's why I called you. So the Home Secretary asked you to find the CT file? I have something for you"

He pulled out a paper file. Thin not many sheets. I opened it to see rows and rows of numbers.

"We got this from the forensic accounts department. It's a Swiss bank account. Now whoever owns it, works for the US government. You can see that there are regular monthly payments into it. However look at around the time when CT was stolen. Someone put it hundred grand into the account. Not the US government"

"Who's is it?" I asked.

"We don't know"

"What do you mean, we don't know?"

"I mean is. Whoever this guy is, the US doesn't want us to know about it. Absolutely nothing"

"Surely you have something"

"Of course I do Michael, who do you take me for? We noticed that regular withdrawals were made at the same place and the same time. We bugged the place with cameras until we got a lovely portrait of the guy which would go well in the national portrait gallery"

He pulled out another file with a sheet of photographic paper "Nobody knows his face. Maybe you might. Take a look"

I looked at the face. I eyes lit up "Are you certain, this is the man?"

"I would bet my entire pension and savings that this is the man making the withdrawals and whose account it is"

I passed the photo to Arcee. "What?" She shouted. The pigeons that had got to like her flew away, never to return.

"You know him then?" Control asked.

"Thanks Control. I'll take it from here. Can I keep this lot?"

"It's a copy for you anyway. You need me, you know where to find me" He got up and continued down the path.

"Michael…" Arcee started, but just didn't know what to say. "How could he. I'll find that fleshy, and when I do…"

"Arcee, calm down. Getting angry like that won't get you anywhere. If anybody is going to do anything, it's me. But for now we have someone else we need to meet before we head back"

"But, we need to tell the others"

"No, not now. I'll deal with him. And I'll be swift about it too. Remember who I am. I'm the guy who has face Megatron alone twice and has lived to tell it"

We left the park and got on the tube at Westminster Station. We took the Jubilee line two stop down the line till Southwark. We came out of the station and opposite the road and slightly to the north on the other side under the railway bridge was Scoresby Street. We walked down the deserted street along the railway arches. Till we came to a certain roller door with a smaller one made into it. I knocked hard on the door. The sound reverberating throughout the street.

We waited a few moments until the door was opened and we stepped into an old garage which had closed up shop years ago. The stood under the fluorescent light stood this scruffy man. He was thin and of normal height. His jeans were fading and his brown anorak starting to fall apart.

"Hey Mr Rickers. Long-time no see"

"How are you Suggs?"

"I could be better. So this your friend?"

"Yes, this is Sadie Darby"

They shook hands without saying anything. "Well I got what you asked. All you have to do is apply the photo. To do that all you have to do is… oh wait, you already know. Don't you Mr Rickers?" He passed over the false papers and I check them as he was speaking to me.

"Yep. So how much do I owe you? What was it… three hundred?"

"It was. However I'm going to need another monkey to go with it"

"Another monkey. Jesus Christ Suggs, what the hell for?"

"Well, it was rather short notice and… well I could do with the extra cash as times are hard at the moment"

"I take it the divorce didn't go well?"

"You tell me. I wish I hired the lawyer she had. This guy is real slick. For a while he had me convinced that I should take out a third job to pay for her yoga classes"

"Terrible, utterly terrible. Listen, Suggs. I might need you again in the near future. Could you keep yourself available?"

"Oh course Mr Rickers. Anything you want"

"Thanks Suggs. You've been a great help. And sorry about that on the phone earlier"

"Don't worry about it Mr Rickers. If anything, I should be apologizing"

"See you around"

"You too"

We left the arches and headed down the street, the way we came.

"Well we better get back. Time for a pickup"

I pulled out my phone and called the base. _"Michael. You calling for a ground bridge?"_

"You know me too well Ratchet. Also we need to urgently speak to Fowler. Can you get him to come to the base as soon as?"

_"Sure, may I ask why?"_

"We need to speak to him about his accounts"


	13. Chapter 13

We came through the swirling wall of light and into the base. All the other Autobots were there, along with June and the children. I could tell they had million or so questions by the look of their faces, but they didn't know where to start.

I walked over to Arcee's true body and when the holographic device was in range her hologram disappeared into thin air. Then Arcee's body started up again, her optics lighting up first then slowly she started to move. She got herself out of the device holding her up. She step into the centre of the control room. Stretching her limbs as she did.

"Ratchet. How long till Fowler gets here?"

"He should be here any moment now"

Optimus asked for everyone "Michael. What did you find out?"

"I found out something that Fowler has to answer for. For the time being just trust me and let me do what I do best. And whatever you do. Don't interfere, even you Optimus. I got questions and he will answer them"

The proximity alarm went off and I made my way up the stairs toward the lift doors. The lift came down till it reached the level I was on. The doors hissed open and Fowler stood there ready to walk straight out, but he didn't when he saw me standing there.

He stepped forward "What this all about Michael. I get a call saying that you wanted to speak to me. About what?"

"I need to speak to you about your accounts"

"I don't have time for this. I've got a report to make in the Pentagon soon" I took a step back and was about to press for the door to close. I pulled out my gun and aimed it squarely at him.

"I don't think so Fowler"

I heard gasps from behind me. I didn't look around as I knew they'd react like that.

"Step out of the lift and remove your gun" I pulled back on the slide to further make my point. He stared straight down the barrel of my gun, knowing I was deadly serious he complied. He crabbed around me so I was between him and the lift.

He slowly reached into his inside jacket pocket and produced a Colt Detective Special.

"You have a snub-nosed?" He gave me a slightly embarrassed look. He carefully held it out, holding it be the short barrel between his forefinger and thumb. I slowly reached out and took it. I pushed out the revolving magazine and dumped the five rounds into my hand. And put the whole lot into my pocket, then stowed my gun.

"Take a seat Fowler" He went over to the desks on the platform next to the large main base computer and sat down on one of the many free chairs available.

Everyone for the moment had kept their distance from us. I slowly walked over to Fowler who looked considerably nervous. Was he nervous because I had pulled a gun on him, or was it because he realised he had been caught. And not caught by just anyone, but someone of my reputation.

I pulled out the file that Control had given to me.

"MI5 found these Swiss bank accounts. Know anything about them?" I handed over the account statement.

He read through it with high detail, reading it again and again. "Sorry, no idea"

"Don't lie to me Fowler. I know it's yours. So what is it?"

"It's nothing to do with me. I swear"

"Is that you know what it is but not yours or you know nothing about it at all?"

"I know nothing about it at all. I ever seen it before"

I turned around and paced a few steps and stopped. "So why are you making withdrawals from it then?"

"What?" He said stunned.

I pulled out the photos from my jacket pocket and slammed them on the desk "MI5 FOUND TOOKS THESE PHOTOS SO DON'T LIE TO ME FOWLER!"

"What?"

"These show you taking money out of that account at regular periods. And if you look at the statement back in October you'll make note of a one hundred thousand Dollar deposit make at the same time those MI5 files were stolen. It contains pretty much all the information that the British government had on the Autobots. Luckily not the base's location, but enough to be a serious security risk. Even the details of which ship I was joining. So whoever it was that stole them went to the Decepticons. What is that account, Fowler?"

His throat went dry and was trying to speak but couldn't get the words out.

"I-It's an account I use for paying off my intel and other things like that. You understand?"

I nodded. "But where did the hundred grand come from. MI5 knows it isn't your bosses, so who?"

"I swear I don't know"

"Fowler, it's really starting to stack up against you here. You need to give me something"

"I have no idea"

"Who?"

He shrugged.

"Was it you?"

"Was I what?"

"You the one that stole the files?"

"No way. Are you crazy?"

"Was it!"

"No"

"Fine, you leave me no choice. William Fowler I'm arresting you for the suspicion of theft of government property. You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence"

He stood up "But it wasn't me!" He protested.

"THEN WHO DID!" I screamed back.

He sat back down and remained silent. And that silence reverberated around the entire base for some time. The silence was so loud it was starting to tear away at me slightly.

"It wasn't me Michael. Someone is setting me up. You've got to believe me. You trust me, don't you?"

"In our line of work it's very hard to trust anybody. Even you should know that by now"

"I'm being set up. C'mon this is me for Christ sake. I'm not the one you're after. You've got it all wrong"

"Ok. Let's for the moment say your right, and it wasn't you and you are being set up. Then who could it be?"

He shrugged.

"It's someone who knows about the Autobots and probably knows you. Who Fowler? Think? Who could it be?"

"I have no idea. None whatsoever"

I was beginning to wonder if I was wrong. The way he spoke, his body language and his overall behaviour indicated that he was telling the truth. It was a good guess but I don't believe he is capable of faking it that well and I was having a hard time to believe he was the mole. But then again I have been wrong in the past, no reason I couldn't be again.

"Ok. Here is what we're going to do. I will conduct my own investigation from scratch because clearly something has been missed or purposely overlooked. My instincts are telling me it's not you. But they have been wrong. So you are to be detained here until I found out otherwise. Is that clear?"

"Yes" Fowler answered looking very much deflated. I could understand what he was feeling. When you are betrayed by your friends nothing makes sense anymore and you just don't know what to do.

I turned to regard the others "Optimus, I need to ask you if you maintain constant surveillance on Fowler and I also require your help to find the truth"

Optimus stood there for a while to consider his answer. To me it didn't matter that much. Whatever he said, I was going to get my way. If someone tries to kill me, I don't run and hide. I face it head on. So the question wasn't really necessary, I was just being polite.

"Ok Michael. We will provide any help you need"

I was glad. I was going to get this done a lot faster with their help. And I wouldn't have to fight them.

"Ok. We need to start now. The more we wait, the more time the evidence will be wiped away"

I went over to my desk and made a call.

_"Yes" _

"Control. It's Michael"

_"How did you get this number?"_

"I have my ways. I need to ask you a question"

_"Sure"_

"How were the files stolen? All the details and I mean all"

_"The files were put into an encrypted laptop which was booby trapped with all sorts and placed into a triple A grade transport case. I had one on my field officers take it in person over to Vauxhall cross within our weekly intel share with six. What happened was my officer was mugged by a group of hoodies who took off with the case"_

"Where and when?"

_"Embankment, at around ten in the morning" _

"Thank you"

_"Why did want do know?"_

I hung up without asking. Like I said before, trust no one.

"Ratchet. Could you access as many CCTV cameras in the embankment area for ten in the morning on the day the files were taken?"

He looked at Optimus for approval, which he got through a simple almost imperceptible nod.

"I'll get right on it"

Within a minute he had footage of the actual theft taking place. The camera was facing south with the river in the left side of the screen. As it was a sunny day the shadows of people walking up and down the pavement were stretched out along the floor. We saw a man dressed in jeans and a black jacket walk away from the camera when a group of five hoodies crossed the road and enter the screen from the right. The first one ran into him and slammed him to the floor. The other piled on while one grabbed the case. When they got what they wanted, they left faster than they entered.

"Ok, so where did they go? It shouldn't be too hard to trace them" I said.

Ratchet typed away with his giant super computer, using many algorithms from, facial recognition to body movement recognition software to quickly trace any CCTV sighting of the gang. After around half an hour Ratchet had completed as much he could. He brought up a map of London on the screen for us to see their route.

"The attack happened here outside Middle Temple Gardens. They ran up Temple Place towards Arundel Street and into Strand. They weaved through the London School of Economics and Politics, over Lincoln's Inn Field towards Holborn and heading towards St Pancras Station. However there is a gap covering just over a block there. When they came out of that black spot, they no longer have the case. So where ever they left it, it has to be there" He pointed in an area just north of High Holborn.

"Doesn't leave us with much" I said "Ratchet, can you pull up all the footage around that area and feed it through one of the smaller screens for me to look over? Maybe I might spot something"

"Doing it now" He typed a bit more and I sat down at a computer screen. It displayed six CCTV cameras, playing from the moment the gang entered the black spot.

"I'll leave you do it" Ratchet said and moved away to his lab. The other stayed for a while. Then soon Jack and Miko left to play video games with Bulkhead, Bee and Arcee watching. Raff and June with Fowler of course carried on watching the screens to try and help. But soon only Raff remained.

Elita came back after a short while. She noticed Raff was quickly getting bored "Raff, you want to play video games with the others?" She asked him in her soft voice.

"No thanks, I want to help"

I paused the footage "Raff, as glad as I am that you want to help, I don't think you will spot what I'm looking for. But thanks anyway. It means a lot"

"Come on Raff, I have something you could help me fix" Elita said extending her hand flat on the platform for him to step onto.

He looked at me and I gave him a quick smile saying it was fine.

"Ok" He said to her. He stepped into the palm of her hand and sat down. She pulled him close, her fingers and thumb curling around him so to protect him from falling. She took great care in holding him. To her, he was tiny and extremely fragile. She walked off carrying him down one of the corridors.

I played the footage on and watched closely on all of the screens.

I watched the screens until I saw something that would grab my attention. Someone came round with a mug of tea every so often. Even Optimus was bringing one round. Although which extreme care to not break it. I sat there and waited and kept on waiting. Then he showed. At first I didn't quite believe it, but there he was. A man wearing a grey jacket entered the top left screen. And ten minutes later he walked out with the case in hand.

I stopped the footage and replayed it again and again. I paused it when the face was in clear view. I isolated the screen and magnified the face and enhanced the quality.

"Holy shit" I blurted out.

"What is it?" Optimus asked quickly making his way over.

"He's still alive" I said to myself.

I had everyone gather around and had taking remote control of the big screens "I found out who the pickup was and it startled me to say the least" I clicked a button and a mug shot of a man in his forties with a bold head and clearly the face of someone who has had his fair share of fights was displayed looking straight at the camera.

"This is Jason Hadfield. Born in Manchester in 1973 and enlisted in the Royal Navy in 1989. He had a notable military career and won a number of medals in numerous battles and in peace time. Then in 1998 he joined the Special Boat Service where again he was awarded with more medals. Mostly from Afghanistan and Iraq. Six years later in 2004 he was approached by recruiters for MI5 which he gladly accepted. And again there he showed great promise. He was said to be a great field officer, I role model to others in the service. Using his intellect and his time in the navy and the regiment to further his skills. But then in 2007 he went rogue. By this time he became head of anti-terrorist operations and was assigned the task of escorting a diplomat on a secret visit to the UK. However he handed the diplomat over to the very people he was supposed to be protecting the diplomat from. As soon as MI5 found out. Hadfield had already killed ten officers to maintain his secret. When he was cornered he blew up a building in Leeds with him inside. Since then there has been no trace of him, until now"

"Hang on" Fowler started. "So if this rogue agent blew himself up, how could he have been walking in London five years later?"

"I always thought that he did escape. Nobody else in the service believed me. But I knew. There was no trace of his body anywhere. He wasn't in that building. But why now? After so long, why would he come out into the opening like this?"

Optimus had a question "How skilled is he?"

"I've never had the pleasure of meeting him. But if the stories are true, then he would put me to shame. With what he has, he could be very dangerous"

"So what's the next step?" Jack chimed in.

"We find Jason Hadfield and we bring him in"

"But he could be anywhere by now. Where do you suppose we start?" Arcee asked.

"Oh, he's in London. I just know it. He is in London. I need to back and ruffle a few feathers to find out where exactly"

"Will you acquire assistance?" Optimus enquired.

"Yes, the more bodies the better. He is a war veteran and will stop for no one"

"Ratchet, please assist me in preparing a hologram. I will be going this time"


	14. Chapter 14

Author's Note.

As I am now back at the academy. I am finding less and less time to write this. I would very much appreciate reviews because if nobody really likes this story, I might be tempted to stop. However if I get even one review saying they like it. I will carry on, and that is a promise. Doesn't have to be much. Even a simple "I like it, please keep going" will do.

_**Please Please Please review. You have no idea how much it will mean to me. **_Thank You.

* * *

><p>There stood in front of me was a man. He was a tall man, however not quite as tall as myself but tall nonetheless. His face was wrinkled with aged and he sported a bushy black moustache. He was of a muscular build like myself, possibly stronger. He was dressed quite smartly with a plain black suit. Although it was a blocky American suit, nothing like a slim trim European suit.<p>

We stood face to face for a short time just staring at each other, nether saying a word.

"Not bad style, Optimus" I said to the man. He simply nodded in return.

Like with Arcee earlier I led Optimus over for a basic run down on the operation of human based firearms. As the same with Arcee he too was quick to get used to it.

This time round we would be using the Jaguar to get around London as I imagine we'd need to go from place to place. I got into the right hand drive Jag while with their holograms Optimus sat in the front with Arcee in the back. Ratchet opened up the ground bridge and I drove the Jag through the swirling wall of light.

Hammersmith, London

United Kingdom

As we came through the ground bridge we found ourselves in the yard to that derelict hotel Arcee and I had bridged to before. I eased the car out of the yard and waited to join the flow of traffic. Once I saw a gap and got into the traffic stream Optimus asked me a simple question. "Where are we going?"

"If Hadfield is in London and keeping off the radar then he must be doing back hand jobs or in crime. Whichever it is, someone knows where he is. So we are going around the city to shake some info from the scum of London. First stop is a well-known crack house in East Acton" We drove on down the maze of small streets throughout the Hammersmith borough.

We pulled up in a plain simple terraced house street. The place was grimy and dirty, many windows had been boarded up and graffiti'd from being smashed. The whole place was run down and in dire need of restoration.

We exited the car and looked at one particular house in the street. It was blindingly obvious where the crack house was. The hip hop music which sounded ten years out of date was blaring throughout the entire street. There were a few hoodies milling around outside. Some standing, eager to get in. Some sitting, curled up on the floor. Somewhere shaking due to effect the drugs had on them. Arcee and Optimus were horrified to see humans in such a way.

"Now just to warn you, you are about to face to face with the scum of the human race, so brace yourselves"

"Michael, why have we come here?" Arcee asked.

"We need to start from the bottom up" I approached the house with the two in tow.

A group of four hoodies in their twenties stood in front of me to block me entering.

"Don't know you mate. Can't come in" The lead one said.

I just shrugged. As I was making a step to go back the way I came I twisted back to him in lighten quick speed and jammed my hand around his throat. "Who's selling the gear?" I asked him with a snarl. His mates became harden thugs to cowards, all three of them backing up, not wanting to help their friend.

"I-I-I no idea mister. Believe me, not a clue mate" I let him go, it was clear he was telling the truth.

"Who here knows?"

"Ask the boss upstairs" He managed to say before running away with his tail in between his legs.

I looked back at the two behind me. "Well, let's speak to his boss then" I walked up the steps to the broken front door, the other two following. What was inside was not the slightest bit pleasant. The smell of alcohol, used drugs and needles were very prevalent with a hint of urine added into the mix. The music was so damn loud I could barely hear myself think. I saw the speakers and went over to them and yanked out the power socket and sweet silence entered my ears. It took a few seconds or the crack heads to realize the music had stopped an one by one they started complaining.

While they all started a commotion as to how to start the music again, I used this opportunity to go right past them without them bothering me or the other two. It was like walking past a platoon of zombies. Optimus was all too aware of what that is like, but whether it bothered him, I would never know as his face gave nothing away.

We made our way up the narrow flight of stairs to the first floor. To the far end of the hallway was a closed door which hardly looked touched. Most likely because the junkies were too scared of the repercussion of doing so. This was the dealer's office. I pointed it out for the others benefit. They nodded in understanding.

I padded over to the door. I pulled out my gun and attached the silencer with a simple twist and click. None of that screwing it in like they do in the movies. I readied it and held aiming upwards at the ceiling. With one mighty kick the door came off its hinges and crashed on the floor. The dealer was sitting behind his desk, saw me and made for his weapon. I shot him in the shoulder before he got the chance. He fell over backwards in his chair onto the floor gasping in pain.

I slowly padded around the desk while the other two slowly entered. I kept my aim until I could tell the dealer was unarmed. I stowed my gun back in my jacket pocket. The dealer looked at my boots, staring as if mesmerize by them. Then he slowly craned his neck to slowly take in my stature. When he discovered he had no hope of stopping me he looked defeated.

I bend down to him to ask him a simple question. "Ever heard of a guy called Jason Hadfield?"

The dealer was puzzled. If anyone was going to bash his door down, shoot him in the shoulder and ask him a question it would have been either about gear or money. Not about some random block. However it was a random bloke he had heard of.

"Hadfield?"

"Yes, Hadfield, you piece of scum" I said with quiet venom.

"I heard of him. My supplier has mentioned him from time to time. Something about ex-special forces or something. That's all I know I swear"

"Who's your supplier?"

He stayed quiet.

"WHO!" I screamed at him.

"T-The Soho boys. You know, run that club. The cube it's called" He quivered. "I-Is that it?"

"Not quite. One more thing before I go" I pulled out my gun quickly and shot him in the other shoulder. Where he started to sit up he fell back down again. I stowed my gun and reached down to pick him up by his shoulders.

Optimus and Arcee guessed right to stand back.

"How does it feel… to be… dead?" I said slowly as I hauled him to his feet, propping him against a wall. He was petrified about what was to come.

"How many lives have you destroyed? How many people dead? How many families torn apart? Hmm, how many?"

He shook his head frantically. He didn't know. Nor did he care. As long as he got his money, it didn't matter.

I practically screamed at him while slamming him against the wall "You are SCUM!YOU ARE SCUM! YOU MAKE EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH DIRTY! I THAT I WILL NOT FORGIVE! I DO NOT FORGIVE! I DO NOT FORGIVE!" By now I had completely lost it. Drug dealers are the type of criminal I hate the most. Optimus and Arcee stepped in before I beat the guy to a pulp.

"Michael, calm down. I think his had enough" Ordered Optimus. I shook them off and stormed out of the room back through the hallway and back down the stairs. I could tell Optimus and Arcee were exchanged looks with each other. I just left the building with them having to catch up.

I unlocked the car door and opened the drivers doors but stood there waiting for the other two. They were both given me that look that I should explain myself.

"Back in high school, there was someone in my year who got into drugs. Then quickly he became addicted and soon he stopped attending class. A month or so down the line he was found dead from a overdose of heroin. The dealer who sold it to him decreased the quality of the drug so much, when he went somewhere else, he took way too much on purer stuff and it stopped his heart flat"

"I am sorry to hear about your friend" Optimus said.

"He wasn't my friend. However it's the fact that the dealers sold him crap that drove him to his death just so they could make more money. That's what I hate about them so much. They have no remorse for anyone but themselves"

"So you took it on yourself to try to stop them?" Arcee added.

"Something like that"

We went silent, mulling over what had been said.

"Well, we can't stand here all day. Time to meet the Soho boys. Or in my case… I little reunion"

"Why don't I like the sound of that?" Arcee said, sounding uncertain.

We got in the car and soon we were off again towards the Soho area.

I parked the car in yet another tight narrow street in Soho. This street was vastly different to the previous one. There were shops, people, traffic and lots of activity. Optimus and Arcee were I little nervous about their being so many people around them. For all the time they have been on earth they have being trying to hide, but now people would be aware of them.

We got out of the Jag and they followed me through the mass of people walking up and down the street going to where ever it was they were going.

One of the pedestrian streets was lined with night clubs and kebab shops waiting for their regular night time punters. As it was still the afternoon. They were all shut in the day like nocturnal creatures. We saw the club called The Cube. It didn't really stand out from the other clubs on the street. The face was all black with pink neon lights of cubes switched off all around.

We came to the door and I gave it a good hard slamming knock, bashing it hard with the side of my fist. We waited for about a minute before the door was heard to be unlocked. The door opened and a bouncer came out. He was black, bold and slightly fat. But big enough to be a typical bouncer.

"What do you want?" He asked in a low voice, clearly annoyed.

"Hello there" I started politely. "I've come to have a chat with the owner of this establishment"

"Why you the old bill or something?"

"No, we're not the police. Please would you let us in?"

"If you've got some ID on you, I'll check to see if he will let you in"

"Oh yes, yes. I think I've got something here" I started to pretend to fumble around in my jacket pocket. When the bouncer took a more natural stance, I quickly landed a hard punch into his stomach. He didn't see it coming and fell right over backwards on his back inside the door way.

"There's my ID mate" I said. Optimus and Arcee were again stunned by my actions.

"He wasn't going to let us in. What was I supposed to do?" I entered the club and the two followed behind, shuffling past the unconscious bouncer.

I walked across the unlit dance floor towards the bar. There was a man taking a check of the float in the cash registers. I approached him. I told the two to wait with a simple signal with my hand.

"You the owner of this club sir?"

The man turned around see who asked him the questioned. "Who's asking?"

"Who I am is of no concern to you. Are you the owner?"

"No. You'll find him upstairs. Through the door their" He pointed at said door by the end of the bar. "First on the left"

"Thank you"

The others followed me through the door and up the stairs with turned to the right. We came to the first door on the left and I knocked on it.

"Yes" A familiar voice called. The voice belonged to one of a mob group known in London as the Soho Boys. His name was Trevor Parker. I knew him and he knew me. This wasn't going to be pretty.

I opened the door, slowly. When he came into my view he looked right at me with the look of fear in his eyes. I scrunched my face up really tight. I slowly walked to his desk where he was seated. He was starting to shake with terror. I pulled my knife out and grabbed Trevor's tie. With the knife I stuck his tie to the wood of his desk, holding him there.

"What the?" Was all Arcee could say.

"Hello Trevor. Miss me?"

"Michael, what is the reason for this action?" Optimus demanded.

"See this scar on my face?" I pointed it out under my left jaw. "It was this low life that gave it to me. Isn't that right Trevor?"

He didn't answer. "W-Why are you here?"

"I'm on the look for a certain individual by the name of Jason Hadfield. Heard of him?"

He shook his head vigorously 'no'.

"Oh. Well you see, I was inform that he has been working for this place. Are you certain you don't know him?"

He nodded his head as vigorously 'yes'.

"You know, if you were Pinocchio, you'd have just poke my eye out"

"Ok, ok. He sometimes does some shifts here at the bar. Also he helps out in another enterprise of mine"

"By that, you mean dealing?"

He shrugged.

"Has he been in lately?"

"Yes"

"Got an address for him?"

"No"

"Why am I seeing flashing neon lights above your head saying liar, liar pants on fire?"

"I swear, I don't know"

I shook my head slightly "Don't take me for a fool. Give his address or the police will get an interesting phone call about the activities that happen here"

"What?"

"What I mean is. They will come with a warrant to search the place, find the drugs and hit you with a certain piece of law called the Proceeds of Crime Act"

He looked confused.

"They will arrest you and then confiscate all your assets. Yeah, you can kiss all this goodbye. But with your state pension. Everything will be fine"

"I don't know" I pulled the knife out and grabbed him to his feet, pushing him to the window.

"You have five seconds to give me the address"

Optimus and Arcee were clearly not comfortable with this. But knew better than to step in. Because if there were too, all my efforts so far, would have been for nothing.

I counted the seconds in my head. One, two, three, four, five.

"Times up, now out the window!" I quickly hauled him through the glass and smashed it with his back and out he fell, yelling as he fell into a skip of broken concrete. He was seriously injured with a possible broken back.

"Welcome to my world" Is all I said to the two, staring with dinner plates for eyes, even Optimus had complete shock on his face.

I had moments before the office was flooded with bouncers. I quickly checked the filing cabinets for the employment records. I found the right draw quickly and skimmed through the files till I found it. Jason Hadfield. I combed the file till I saw Flat 18 Welstead House in Whitechapel. I closed the file back up and closed the cabinet.

"Let's go. We don't have much time" I shot out of the office before people discovered Trevor Parker in the skip.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note**

Thank You BuckeyeBelle for your review. My Magnetic compasses lecture flew by in no time because of your review, so thanks again. You have no idea how boring it is to sit through.

However I was hoping for more reviews. As you can see I have continued with this as there is a least one prson who said they liked this story.

Please would you take a minute of your time to review this. I'd like to know what you like or don't like about this story or my OC Michael Rickers. I won't be mad or angry at you so feel free to speak your mind. If you'd like you could make a guess as to where the story is heading. And future story suggestions are very welcome indeed. It only takes a minute.

**_So please, please, please. Write a review. I might squeeze in time to review your stories in return._**

Thank you

* * *

><p>Whitechapel, London<p>

United Kingdom

I parked the Jag in the car park at Welstead House. We got out and headed to the nearest staircase. Looking at the size of the place, flat 18 must either be on the ground or first floor. I took a chance that it might be on the first floor so I went that way first. Just like before, the other two were following my lead.

We walked along the open passageway on the first floor looking at the numbers on the doors. Finding flat 18 didn't take long, only five minutes. I knocked on the door and waited for it to open. After a few moments the sound on bolts and chains being unlocked was heard. The door was opened ajar, still held back by a chain.

"Hello?" Said the frail voice of an elderly lady.

"Afternoon. Does Mr Jason Hadfield live here?" I asked gently.

"Yes he does. Are you the police?"

"No. Is Mr Hadfield in?"

"No. He's just popped out to get a few things from the shop. Would you like to come in?"

"Please"

She closed the door slightly to undo the chain and opened the door fully. I stepped through the doorway. The flat was small. There was a living room straight ahead with other doors leading to other various rooms. The other two followed me through to the living room.

"Please take a seat. Would you like a cup of tea?"

Optimus and Arcee declined.

"Sure why not" I said.

"Make yourself comfortable" She went into the kitchen.

Arcee and Optimus noticed the bird cage in the corner. Arcee pointed them out for me "What are those?"

"There Budgies"

"They're very noisy" She commented.

"There probably just a little bit distressed, that's all"

She looked slightly saddened by this "Poor things must not like being caged up like that"

"Trust me, it's for their own good. And they probably keep her company"

She nodded in understanding.

The old lady came back in with a tray in her hand. She was struggling with it, but before I got up Optimus was there already taking the tray off her and placing it on the coffee table. Then helping the frail woman to her seat.

"Are you family of Jason's?"

"Oh, no. He's just a lodger here. He's been living here for the past year now. He's such a nice man. Pay's his rent early and helps as much around the home. He's a very good handy man. He managed to fix the plumbing last week. And a month ago he dealt with some youths who were causing a nuisance in the estate"

"When will he be back?"

"Only a few minutes at most. Why do you want to speak to him? Are you friends?"

"No. We just need to ask him a few questions. That's all" I said with a smile.

"Whereabouts are you from? I can't quite recognize the accent their"

"Cardiff" I answered.

"Cardiff, that's awhile away"

"Not really, it's only three hours on the train out from Paddington"

"And what about you two. You've been rather quiet since you've been here. Where are you from young lady?"

I could just about make out that Arcee didn't like being called young by a human. But in the situation, it was understandable.

"I'm from Nevada"

"Oh, so your American. I once went to the states well before your time" The old lady looked back at me, then Arcee face scrunched up slightly behind her back. "I went to visit New York in 1958 with my late husband. That was an amazing holiday. Back in those days most people struggled to go on holiday. Let alone to the states. Have you been?"

"Been where?"

"The states?"

"Oh, yes. Yes many times. I work in shipping, so. But I've haven't been to The Big Apple yet"

"And you handsome man. Where are you from?"

"Same as my friend here, Nevada"

"You sound Canadian though?"

Optimus was quickly coming up with an excuse "I was brought up in Canada, however I am from Nevada"

There was a knocking on the door. We all turned our heads in its direction.

"I'll get that" The old woman stood up and made her way over to the door out of sight. The latches and chains were removed again, and the door was immediately opened up.

"Hello there. Get everything?" She asked whoever it was. Most likely Jason Hadfield.

"Yes I did" A man's voice said. The two went into the kitchen.

"There are some people here to see you"

"People? What people?" He sounded suspicious. I knew we wouldn't have long till he would sense the trap.

The man came into the room. He's was of Optimus' hologram size. However it was clear this guy trained every day, most likely the sort of training from the regiment.

"Jason Hadfield?" I asked.

"Yeah. You the police?"

"No. However we do have a few questions to ask"

"I won't answer your questions until you tell me who you are. You know who I am, it's only fair that I know your name"

"Who I am isn't of your concern. However the questions I will ask are"

"Name, now"

I had no other choice. He knew that if I wasn't going to say, he knew something was up. So I took a chance at a false name"

"Alright, my name is Peter Standings. Now will you answer my questions?"

"Liar. I can tell by your voice you're lying, it's in your voice. Now who are you?"

"Peter Standings"

He looked at Arcee and lunged at her, holding her in a headlock. "Tell me now or the pretty one gets it"

"Alright, alright. My name is Michael Rickers"

"Rickers?" He was stunned "Shit" He shoved Arcee into my direction who I caught before she fell over. Jason bolted it out the room, shoving Optimus over on the way.

We all ran after him. Along the walkway, down the stairs and into the car park. For his age, he could certainly move on his feet and it wasn't long till we lost him.

We went down a row of garages. "Spilt up. He can't have gone far"

I went straight ahead with Arcee and Optimus went back the other way we came. At the end of the row. Arcee went left, I went right. As I walked along the empty alley I pulled out my gun still with the silencer on. My boots clacked on the floor. I was checking all the points. The place was clear. I moved on to the next part and kept creeping forward, expecting him to jump on me at moment. It was eerily silent. I stopped to silence the sound of my steps. Again nothing, I moved along.

"You can't catch me Captain's boy. You're not half the man like your father" Hadfield voice reached me from what must be a distance. Which direction? I had no idea.

"Oh, I'm as much like my father as you'd care to believe"

"Says you" The sound of running from not far was heard. I ran in its direction… behind me.

"ARRGH GET OFF. HELP!" Arcee cried out. I sprinted in her direction.

I rounded a corner and I saw Arcee's hologram pinned to a garage door with Hadfield looming over her, ready to assault her. Physically or sexually wasn't clear but either way, he was going to hurt her. I ran at him and smashed my right fist into his jaw. He recoiled from Arcee but immediately came for the attack.

Wallop! Optimus swung a metal pipe into his back and down Hadfield went. We all jumped on him to keep him on the floor.

"Jason Hadfield. Your under arrest for theft of government property. You do not have to say anything. But it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence"

"You can't hold me for long"

I punched him hard in the face and he went out cold. "Wait here. I'll get the car" I told Optimus and Arcee.

Autobot Base

I drove the Jag through the ground bridge and parked the car to one side. The three of us got out. I opened the boot and Optimus and I hauled Hadfield's unconscious body and dragged him to a seat next to a table in the middle of the floor which I had Ratchet set up.

Optimus and Arcee assumed there true forms and came over to see what would happen. I took a seat on the other side of the table while Fowler came down the steps to sit next to me. The children and June were on top of the platform out of harm's way with Elita, Bumblebee and Bulkhead standing almost in front of them to protect them if needs be.

After a few minutes Hadfield started to come round. He was a bit drowsy at first, his movements sluggish but more and more he came round.

"What? Where am I?"

"You're at the secret base of the Autobots. You know them, don't you?" I said.

He looked up and around. He was amazed by the sight of the Autobots. But not as if he'd never seen them before, but as if he'd never seen them in real life.

"Jason Hadfield" Fowler started. Jason looked at him.

"Yeah, what do you want?"

"We know you're the one who stole those files. Where are they?"

He simply shrugged.

"The actions you have taken will not be tolerated by the US government"

He yawned in pretend tiredness.

"We will take all necessary action to obtain those files. You do that?"

"Ooh, I'm so scared" He looked at me. "You're awfully quiet"

"I'm just waiting for the yank to run out of ideas. Then I'm going to lay into you"

Fowler continued "If you cooperate with us it will make things better for you"

"Fowler there's no point. He won't listen. Will you?"

"No" Said Hadfield flatly.

"Fowler, allow me" Fowler raised his hands, saying he was letting me take over.

"Got a light?" Hadfield asked.

"June! In my desk draw, there a pack of fags"

June went over to my desk and opened the draw and pulled out a ten pack cigs. She passed them to Elita who in turn gave them to me. I took a cig and passed one to him and took one for myself. I took put my recently replaced Zippo lighter and lit both fags.

"Ok. We can prove through CCTV that it was you who stole those files. So I imagine you still have them?"

He shook his head. "Ok then, so who does?"

"I'm saying nothing"

"Is that so? Tell me, you were once in the SBS, right?"

"Yeah. M squadron. Anti-terrorism"

"I did some training with the newly formed X squadron. Heard of it?"

He nodded. "So that means I know how you think. How you fight. And where your weak"

"Scary"

"I haven't started"

"I know a lot about you. In fact we've met before"

"No we haven't. I'd know if we'd had"

"Oh I wouldn't expect you too. Not at that age. Gibraltar 95. Remember?"

"Vaguely"

"Well I was stationed there for most of the year. I remember watching your mum inspecting the new recruits. And most of the time she would show you off like you were the son of god or something. She was very flirty too. She was asking for it, the dirty slut"

I smashed his head against the table in anger "HOW DARE YOU INSULT MY MOTHER!" I punched him in the back off his head a few times and sat back down.

His forehead was cut and blood was streaming down his face. "Good. You're learning"

"The files. Where are they?"

He shrugged. I knew he was going to need torturing to extract this information. But repeatedly kicking and punching him wouldn't work. I needed to inflict a different pain, I knew he wouldn't be trained for. So I shot up and came round the table again, then I hard as I could I jammed his jaws open then took a firm hold of his tongue and pulled hard. He screamed out in pain and I kept pulling

"YOU GOING TO TELL ME NOW!" I let his tongue go. He tried to calm down. But instead of answering he landed a good one to my face and I fell over hard. He went for my jacket and pulled out my gun, ran over to the stairs. I got up and made chase. He fired a shot at me. The bullet hitting the handrail causing a spark. The Autobots made a grab for the other humans. However Hadfield was fast and before Bumblebee could get Raff to safety Hadfield had the gun at the boys head.

"Let me out of here or the boy get's it" He threatened.


	16. Chapter 16

The Autobots powered up their weapons at Hadfield. I pulled out my replaced Desert Eagle from my jacket and aimed at him. I took the safety off and cocked it. Raff was quivering in fear. He'd never been in this situation before and it is utterly terrifying if you've never been there before. I had been trained to deal with these events, however not when the man with the gun knows it to.

"Jason, let the boy go" I said calmly.

"Piss off with your de-escalation approach. It won't work on me. I'm getting out of here and theirs is nothing you can do about it" I he adjusted the aim slightly, this Raff begin to cry silently.

"Don't worry Raff, everything's going to be alright" I told him to help his nerves.

"Lower your weapons, all of you. Unless you want to see his brain splattered all over the floor" Hadfield ordered.

"Everyone, do as he says, he's very serious" I called out. We had to somehow gain his trust, if that makes any sense. All the Autobots disengaged their weapons and stood down. I however, didn't. "Jason, I'm going to keep my gun for insurance, is that alright?"

He nodded. "Come on, look at yourself. You're pointing a gun at a child. This is not you. You're meant to protect the innocent not put them in danger"

"I said don't try that shit" His eyes were darting back and fore around the room. I could tell that he was getting really under stress, the last thing you want with a guy with a gun. I knew I had limited time to defuse him or all hell would break loose. He was sweating and starting to pant uncontrollably. He was losing it. "Why do we do this job for? Hmm why? We put ourselves in danger and we get no credit for it. We're just spooks, shadows in the dark. That's what we are you and I. We don't exist. We're shot at, blown up and tortured, and for what? When we die there will be no one to remember us. So why the fuck do we do this Michael?"

"I've no idea, maybe because if we don't, who will?"

"Well it isn't going to be me anymore. Now let's just get on with it and let me out"

"Give me the boy first"

"NO! If I do then I've got nothing to bargain with. Let me out first"

"Where will you go? I found you. You can't hide now. Everybody is hunting you and they won't rest until you're caught. So why bother?"

"I managed before and I can do it again. Besides you just got lucky"

Then the silence kicked in. No more words were exchanged. It was a mind game now with each other trying to anticipate what the other would do next. Hadfield was taking small steps back taking Raff with him. This only made things worse for the boy. He was sure he wouldn't make it through this. Bumblebee was having an extremely difficult time seeing the boy in his charge in mortal danger and that he could do nothing to save him. It was all down to me, yet again.

I took a sudden step forward. Hadfield reacted and twisted slightly. But to my surprise, out of nowhere Raff shook free and elbowed Hadfield. It didn't wind him or anything but it did enough for Raff to escape. Before Hadfield could react Raff was away. Raff quickly got behind me for cover and all the Autobots had their weapons powering up on him.

"Stand down" Optimus ordered.

Hadfield stared into my eyes as if trying to look into my soul. Then he lunged for me. I punched him away with my right with the added weight of the gun and it through him to one side away from Raff. As I took the fight away from Raff, Elita was there straight away took pick up Raff and comforted him as he was truly frightened by it all. She took him to Bumblebee and she kept a hold of him as he began to cry.

I slammed Jason in a wall and went on the attack. I repeatedly punched him in the chest, jab after jab after jab. He blocked a few but some did get through. He managed to throw me off and get me off balanced. He slammed me with a high kick to the stomach and I hit the floor flat on my back. He then tried to stamp on my face but I managed to roll away in time. I got to my hands and knees but that's as far as I got. He grabbed the back of my neck and repeatedly kicked my underside. He did manage to kick nearly all seven bells out of me but I managed to grasp his foot and pulled him off balance. He hid the floor and we wrestled each other. We rolled and rolled right up to the platform edge.

The Autobots were trying to get an aim at Hadfield but couldn't get a clear shot. As we kept on wrestling, we both fell off the platform. We both landed and the pain was bad, but not enough to stop me fighting. I fought through the pain and got up before he did and tried to land my foot in his face. He caught it like I had and pulled me down. I again hit the floor on by back and he straddled over me and clawed into my face, going for the eyes as if to scratch them out. I roared in pain and head-butted him clean in his face and we rolled away from each other. I got up as he did and both of us were out with our guns. He fired and I rolled away from his line of fire, then returned with a shot of my own and missed. He ran away again up the stairs toward the others. The Autobots weren't going to allow it by grasping all the humans in the area around the TV and sofa and pulling them well away.

I ran up the stairs with the pain in my back doing a slight amount to slow me. I fired at him again and again missed.

Jason looked around for an escape. Optimus approached quickly to put an end to this. Jason looked up and saw a way of climbing the lift shaft to a walkway beyond the reach of all the Autobots. He quickly shot once at me then Optimus to make us back off and rapidly began to climb the shaft.

"For Christ sake man, give up!" I yelled at him.

"Never!"

I too began to climb the shaft "Michael, don't!" Optimus ordered but I didn't listen. He had to be stopped.

Jason got onto the walkway and began firing at me. The Autobots gave covering fire. I kept up the pace until I hit the walkway. My boots causing the metal grating to rattle as they landed.

"Come on then!" Jason shouted and fired. I ducked and was showered in sparks. I fired at him but only managed to shoot the gun out of his hand. He dived back to get it. I dived at him and in the struggle both guns fell down below. Luckily they didn't accidently go off. We managed to get back to our feet. We stopped for a moment as both of us tried to get our breath back.

"Not bad. X squadron taught you well"

"Oh shut up you slap head tosser. You won't win. I'm bigger and stronger than you. I've taken on an entire small army and won so you won't take long"

"It's not what you have, it's how you use what you've got. Did they teach you that?"

"I remember my training. You're nothing but a disgrace to the entire SBS!"

"It least I was properly in the regiment. Not someone who with them for a few months!"

"Well at least I'm not the one pointing guns at children!"

"You still believe in all that protect the weak an innocent bullshit. We were there to win by any means"

I shook my head "That was the whole point. Win by any means for the sake of the innocent"

"Well let's see how good the regiment taught you with hand to hand"

I went for a full on attack. I smashed my shoulder in his abdomen and drove him to the metal plating. While he was down I pounded his face with the full power of my fists. He didn't stand much of a chance. He tried to fight back, but a nice simple and very powerful palm heel to his chin sorted him out. It knocked him out cold. I collapsed from the exhaustion.

Fowler got to the walkway via the long way. He had he's revolver point at Jason and when it was clear he wasn't getting up he helped me up.

"I'll tell you what. I was expecting more from him"

"Who cares, he's down now"

We rolled his body off the walkway with Optimus ready to catch as he fell. It would be too much of a struggle to take him the whole way down. I must have down something to my shoulder in the fall as I needed Fowler to hold up my two hundred and fifty plus pound frame.

As we came down the staircase I had to lean on the wall to catch my breath back. Then I slid down so I sat down. My back hurt and the same for the rest of my body.

"Michael, are you alright?" Optimus asked.

I looked up at him, panting "I'll be alright. Just get him tied down or something. How's Raff?"

"He is shaken up, however he is well cared for" I nodded in understanding. Optimus took a hold of Hadfield's unconscious body and took him away.

Elita took his place. She reached out for him "Let's get you to the medical bay" She scooped me up in her hands and carried me over to the medical bay, lying me down on a hospital bed.

"Look, I'm fine. Just a few aches and pains, nothing serious"

"We'll leave that up to the doctor. Ratchet?"

Ratchet came over and quickly performed a scan of my body "Hmm. It would seem that he has a slight fracture in his left shoulder blade"

"See, nothing" I said.

"Michael, I recommend you get some rest" Ratchet told me.

"Sorry, got things to do"

"You can interview him later. Anyway, he's unconscious so he won't be answering questions for the time being. So for now just take it easy"

"Alright, thanks doc" He nodded and went away.

"You did a pretty good job saving Raff back there. Almost forgot you could fight so well"

"Yeah, well I have the SBS to thank for that" I said with pride. "How is Raff? I mean how is he really?" I asked with concern.

"He is very shaken up… but he will live"

"Where is he?"

"Just over here" Elita led me back into the main room and towards where the TV was. Raff was being hugged by both June and Miko as they sat on the sofa. He had himself buried into June's side for comfort.

"Hey Raff, you ok?" I asked gently.

He turned his head to look at me "Yeah. Thank you" He said quietly wiping away tears.

"That's alright. And next time, don't go pulling stunts like that again. You will only get yourself hurt or worse. But I'm glad to see you're safe" I gave him a smile.

I saw Bumblebee hovering close by "Bee, you alright?" He just shrugged and looked defeated.

"Look, try not to dwell on it. You try to keep him safe but Hadfield was just too quick, there was little you could do. He's safe now and that's all that matters"

Elita but an arm around his shoulder and gave him a reassuring squeeze "You did your best, no one can ask for more" He looked up at her with sad eyes and beeped something.

"No I don't doubt you for a moment. You're the best guardian he could ever hope for"

She gave him a small hugged to put his mind at ease.

I went back on the hospital bed in the medical bay to rest for a short while. I picked up my replaced e-book reader and carried on reading the book Killing Floor and by now Jack Reacher had started to put all the pieces of his puzzle together and now was starting to make sense.

"Damn you Reacher. Things are working out for you, but I'm still bloody clueless" I said to myself out loud. This only made Ratchet come over to run more scans for concussion, which annoyed me greatly.

"Give us a name Hadfield. We know that you not working alone. Somehow the Decepticons got hold of some information and I know you don't have those kinds of contacts. So tell me, who?"

Hadfield looked across the table at me with a death glare. It was clear that he hated every fibre of my being.

"How long are we going to play these games for?"

He shrugged. I got up from the seat and started pacing around, trying to think of a solution. Then an idea popped into my head. Nobody was going to like it, not even myself, but it might work.

I untied his right hand with was tied down to the arm of his chair. I laid it flat on the table. Then I slowly pulled out my seaman's knife.

"Michael?" Optimus noticed the knife.

Hadfield saw the knife and straight away knew what to expect. His face changed. Fear hit him like a ton of bricks. I pointed the knife with the point facing down.

"Oh god, no. Please, for god sake not that" He said quickly.

"Name" He shook his head.

"You forced me" Was all I said. With full force I stabbed his hand right in the centre from the top side till it went through the other side. He screamed out in pain for long time. When he stopped he was breathing heavily to reduce the pain in his hand.

"NAME NOW!" I yelled back.

The Autobots were shocked and amazed. They even took a step back after seeing how serious I was. I kept weight on the blade, moving it slightly, tearing though the flesh and breaking the nerves and small bones in his hand. Blood poured out of it at an astonishing rate and quickly the table was red.

Hadfield grunted in pain. "Ok, ok. I'll tell you everything you want to know"

I waited for him to spill it but he remained silent "Start talking!" I yelled at him.


	17. Chapter 17

He was in extreme pain. But I had been surprised as to how quickly he gave in. Either because he just could no longer hack it or because he knew there would be no end as to the lengths I would go to.

I remember the toughest part of the training in the SBS was the interrogation training. There they would torcher you and break you spirit to get information out of you. I remember I had been stripped naked and had the crap beaten out of me for three days. In between interrogation session I would lie on the floor naked in my own faeces in a dark, small dirty prison cell. It was utterly horrendous, but it was to prepare us should we ever be captured by the enemy. The minimum required time to endure is two days, anything less then you don't become a member of the UK most secretive military unit.

"Please, get it out" The ex-solider, ex spy turned rouge whimpered.

"Fine" I said under my breath. I quickly yanked the knife out of his hand which only caused more pain. "June, I need a bandaged pronto!" She ran over to the medical bay to retrieve it.

"Well?" I asked him.

He only winced in pain "Man up you cry baby"

"Fuck you" He replied.

I backslapped him in the side of his head. It was hard enough to knock him off his chair. I pulled him off the floor and placed him back on the chair.

June came down and immediately went to work at wrapping up his hand before more blood streamed out. When June completed her task, Hadfield made a kissy gesture at her as to intimidate her, and it worked. I grabbed him in to a head lock twisting his head around to fully face her.

"Say sorry" I ordered him to.

He looked at the fearful face of the woman and did it again. "Hmm, feisty. You, me, mmmmm…"

I slammed his face onto the desk "YOU KEEP THAT UP AND YOUR FACE WILL HIT THE FLOOR SO HARD YOU WON'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOUR FACE AND WAX ON THE FLOOR! IT THAT CLEAR? SAY IT!" I barked at him.

"Yes sir, it's clear" He said back.

"Now say sorry"

"I'm sorry" He said to her, although it was clear in his voice, he wasn't.

I let him go and padded around the table and sat on the chair opposite. I stared at him for a short while, trying to work out his true intentions from this moment on. However I had to get on while he was willing to cooperate, sort of.

"So, how did you get the files, and what did you do with them?"

"It was a month before and I get a call out of the blue. The guy on the other end asked me if I wanted work. I say yes. He said if I knew you. I say yes. So he goes on to say if I would like to see you dead. So I explain how I hated Mark Rickers and his very irritating son, always stealing the show and what not. So he tells me all I have to do is retrieve a file that only someone from MI5 would know how to retrieve. I naturally ask how he would kill you. So I explained everything. The Autobots, the Decepticons, the lot"

"Then what?"

"I get my hands on the files and it's all over the news. When it clear I had got away with it I meet with the guy face to face"

"Who was this guy?"

"He was NSA. Guy by the name of Agent Jesse Borken"

I heard gasps from not only Fowler but the Autobots, save for Optimus. I looked at them, the question clear in my face.

Optimus explained "Agent Borken was the one who had discovered of our existence on this planet. He was going to be our liaison with the US government. However due to reason we weren't told, Agent Fowler became our liaison instead"

I stood up, I heard enough from Hadfield. My puzzle like Reacher's was starting to come together. I couldn't tell what the picture was for sure, but I had an idea what it was. I climbed the stairs toward my desk. Everyone else kept a good watch on Hadfield, should he decide to make a move. I picked up the phone on my desk and dialled.

_"Yes" _

"Control, it's Rickers"

_"You again. And once again, how did you get this number?"_

I chose not to answer "Take a guess as to who I have in my custody?"

_"Oh I don't know, Lord Lucan?"_

"How about Jason Hadfield?"

There was silence on the other end. _"Hadfield is dead. I saw that warehouse blow up with my own eyes"_

"Well, he's looking rather good for a dead man"

_"Michael. Are you certain it is him?"_

"Positive"

He went silent. Most likely to mull over as to what to do.

"What are my orders Control?"

I heard a deep breath _"Have you got all you require from him?"_

"I believe so, yes"

_"You sure?"_

"Yeah"

He went silent again. I heard him but his phone on hold. I waited. I looked around behind me. Everyone was watching me, trying to anticipate what would happen next. It was even evident on Optimus' face that he too was trying to guess. I turned back round. The phone came out of hold.

_"Michael, you there?"_

"I'm here Control"

_"Right, here are your orders. They are direct from the Home Secretary himself. Order is Code Five effective immediately"_

I eyes opened in shock. "Control, I must remind you. You know what that means?"

_"Perfectly. I'm giving you a Code Five Michael, now do it"_ The phone hung up. I placed it back down slowly.

"Well what is it?" Arcee asked.

I didn't answer. I kept my head looking down. I was ashamed as to what I was about to do, but orders were orders. I pushed the seat back and opened the draw. I pulled my side arm out of the draw slowly and picked up a clip then closed the draw. I slid the clip in slowly and turned to the stairs.

Everyone had seen the gun, but just couldn't tell what for. I took slow loud steps down the metal staircase. The silence only increased the sound of my footsteps. Jason saw the gun and knew from that moment what was about to occur.

I stepped onto the concrete and carried on walking slowly towards the table. The Autobots were only now working it out.

"Michael, think about what you are doing" Optimus told me "This is not right, he is your prisoner. Don't do it"

I chose to ignore him. A Code Five was a Code Five and it was treason to disobey. I had no choice.

"Michael I order you to stop"

I looked up at him with venom "I don't take orders from you"

I carried on walking slowly. Only now did the others realize what I was about to do.

"Michael for the love of god don't!" Fowler shouted as he ran along the platform towards the stairs. He would be too late.

"Control gave you a Code Five then?" Jason asked. I didn't reply. I was good enough answer for him. "I hope you rot in hell, Rickers. I hope you do"

I stopped about five paces from him. I pulled back the slide and clicked the safety off "Michael no! Prime do something!"

I raised the gun slowly and squeezed the trigger.

Hadfield's brains were sprayed out behind him. A cone shaped splattering on brain, blood, flesh and bone went flying out of back of his head. His dead caucus flopped backwards in its chair.

June screamed in utter horror. I had executed Jason Hadfield. I had performed a Code Five. Fowler rush up to me and pulled the gun out of my hands.

"You're under arrest for murder" He tried to grab my gun. I twisted his round forcing him down and dropping the gun.

"It was under orders, direct from the Home Secretary himself!" I yelled at him. He tried to squirm out of my hold.

"What the hell? Since when did the British ever execute anyone? You stop that fifty years ago"

I let him go, he dusted himself off and turned to face me with disgust "I thought you were one of the good guys, but you killed him in cold blood. He had the right to a fair trial!"

I scoffed "Really, I fair trial. In any court he would be convicted straight away. It would just be a formality"

"But what about liberty and freedom? Does that count for nothing?"

"There is no such thing as liberty, and you would be foolish to believe that. After what I've seen, I know that peace, liberty and all that other crap you Americans come up with, it simply doesn't exist"

"So they give you an order and you follow it blindly?"

"It's treason to disobey a Code Five"

"What, treason to simply kill someone?"

"A Code Five is more than just a kill order. There's more. Right now the security services are going through every official document concerning him, and they will be destroyed. Basically a Code Five is to completely wipe someone away entirely, like he was never born"

"I'm still going to arrest you for murder"

"Murdering who exactly? Officially he doesn't exist. Now how can I have murdered someone who doesn't exist?"

Fowler started to rattle in deep anger, and then he tried to attack me. He attempted to punch me straight in the face. I moved my head to one side and used his own momentum to throw him to the floor. "Don't bother Fowler, I'm SBS trained. The SBS make your Navy SEALS look like conscripts. Now I'm going to make arrangements for the removal of the body"

"W-W-What will happen to him?" I looked up at the platform to see a very scared and frightened Raff. The sight of him made me completely ashamed of myself.

"His remains will be cremated, with respect of course. We're not monsters. I am terribly, utterly sorry you had to see that. No child your age should have to witness that, in fact no one should. I'm so sorry, but I had to" I hung my head in shame.

I walked up the stairs and towards the lift to up top. "If you will excuse me, I need some time to myself" I pressed the button and the doors hissed shut and the lift ascended.


	18. Chapter 18

**Authors Note**

Today is the 1st of March and it is the most important day to anybody from Wales, such as myself as today is Saint Davids Day. So I did throw in some Welsh in this chapter so don't think it is all made up or something. It is my native language and this is my way of getting more people to know about it. And while I'm at it, I'm just going to say Wales beat England in this years Rugby Six Nations in England for the first time in what, 10 years? It's a good time to be Welsh.

Oh and please review.

Dydd gwyl Dewi hapus!

Happy saint David's day!

* * *

><p>I was up at the top of the mountain which was the Autobot base. I was agitated by what I had just done minutes ago. Now everybody now knew what I was. An assassin who had no remorse, and could kill in cold blood. I hated this situation. Chances are nobody would want anything to do with me. They'd probably throw me into the long grass and move on, just as most people have done before. It's the reason I don't have that many close friends. Even fewer after losing Richard Walker to the sinking Catalonian Star all those months ago and Rodger Pelkins when he was shot dead, executed by MECH while trying to solve the mystery to the sinking of the first ship I served on. I lost contact with other friends from Cardiff a while ago, and chances are they went to different universities like me, so finding them would be difficult.<p>

As I paced around the plateau a was ranting to myself in Welsh, something I only did when I was really mad at myself.

"Pam nawr, pam y fuck nawr? Oedd pethau'n mynd yn iawn, yna maent yn glanio god ffycin pump ar mi. Mae'n debyg eu bod yn meddwl fy mod yn anghenfil awr. Pam na allaf fod yn arferol?" I was ranting away.

"I'm sorry, I don't speak that language"

I turned around and saw Elita standing at the door to the industrial sized lift.

"Didn't think you would want to see me"

"What made you think that?"

"Oh I don't know. The fact that I just blew the brains out of a defenceless man's head with no remorse. You must think I'm worse than the Con's"

"I would never think that. I may not agree with what you did, but I understand that you were under orders which you had to follow. But I'd never think you as worse than the Con's"

I went over to the cliff edge and sat down with my legs hanging over the edge to watch the sun set.

"Why now?"

Elita came over and sat beside me, being careful as she did so I wouldn't accidentally fall to my death.

"Pardon?"

"Why did this have to happen now? I was getting on well with everybody here and then I'm giving a kill order. I'm sure now that you lot won't want me around now, June especially. She'll think I'm do dangerous to be near the kids"

She listened to what I said and she got up again and began to walk back to the lift.

"So that's it, you're going to abandon me then? Like everyone else"

"You need time to yourself to think, I'll leave you to do so" She entered the lift.

"Please don't leave me!" I yelled back to her to hear me. She turned around to look at me "I don't want to be on my own again" My eyes watered and a single tear rolled down my face.

Elita saw that I was in mental distress, she came back towards me and sat beside me again, her hand came down and pinned me against her hip, hugging me. I sat there silently crying. I thought that everything I'd gained in the last few months would be cruelly taken away from me. Also the thought of being chucked out and left at the mercy of the Decepticons was even bare worth thinking about. I'd been turned away before and didn't think much of it. But now? It scared me to the bone.

I looked up at Elita and she had been looking down on me very closely "Please don't abandon me"

"I'll never abandon you. I don't why you think that, but you should know I'll never leave you"

"Please don't, ever. I don't think I would survive long without you"

"And I won't let the Con's near you either, that's a promise"

"Don't promise things like that, I'm not that gullible"

"Ok, then I will do all I can to keep them away. That I do promise, and I mean it"

I laid my head on her side for more comfort.

"This has really, affected you greatly hasn't it?"

"Everything seems to be falling apart. I can't go about doing my job without something going wrong, some of my closest friends are dead because of me and I'm probably about to lose more"

"No you're not. The other are concerned about you. Even June. She not mad at you. She will understand, maybe not now, but she will"

"You don't know that"

"She raised her concerns about you when you left the control room"

I looked up again "Really?"

"Yes. She's actually worried about you. Yes her concern for the children's safety is greater. But she is concern about you"

"I don't want to face them right now"

"That's ok, let's just watch the sun set for the time being"

"Ok" I said weakly. I laid my head back on her hip, watching the golden orb slowly creep down causing the sky to display a watercolour of reds, oranges and purples.

We watched the event for a while when I thought of trying to lighten the mood a bit "I need to visit Wales again soon. Can't stand this dry place for much longer"

"Hmm?" She asked.

"I think I know why my parents went to sea"

"And why's that?"

"Because the sea was drier than Wales"

She chuckled slightly "Yeah I suppose. The only time I went there it did rain all day"

"It does rain a lot back home. I'm just not that used to living in the desert yet. This place is so barren and boring"

Elita didn't reply, just nodded.

"What do you think I should do?"

"Sorry?"

"What should I do now? Do I stop now before I do more harm, or do I continue and get to the root of the problem and hunt down this Agent Borken?"

She looked up into the sky to think about it for a while.

"To be honest I would like you to quit before worse happens. But then again I'm saying that because I scared of losing you should things happen. However the thought of the Decepticons knowing the location of this base scares me more and it won't just be you who is in danger but every other human on this planet. I hate to say it Michael, but you might just be the only person right now who could stop the Decepticons from achieving their goals and taking over humanity"

"Really, the only one?"

"Yes, if I see it right, then this Borken guy is the crucial cog in the Decepticons plan. You found Hadfield who was actively trying to hide and you found him so you should be able to capture this guy. We can't cause him harm as it is not in our nature, especially to humans, but you could, we know that. You could retrieve those files before the Con's do and the world is safe for another day. We need you right now, more than ever. So please don't think we will abandon you"

Her short speech actually made me feel a lot better. Although the idea of the fate of the world just might be on my shoulder might be daunting, I was ok with it, because if anything, I did manage to prevent a potential nuclear war before.

I got on my feet and so did she.

"Well we better get moving then. Time could be running out"

She smiled "That's the spirit"

"Remember I'm in the merchant navy, and I can do anything"

I walked back to the lift with her and we rode it back down to the control room of the base.

We came into the base proper. Everyone was still there. I didn't feel so bad now as I did because I knew Elita was on my side so it should make things easier.

"Before we go anywhere I just to apologize to you all. I'm sorry that you had to witness all that, but believe when I say this, it was necessary. He was a very dangerous man and had killed his colleagues before. I should have done in a more discrete way, but nobody's perfect"

"Your apology is accepted" Optimus stated.

Where he spoke for the Autobots I was paying attention at June. However she remained silent.

"Please say something" I begged.

"I just wished you didn't do that in front of the children, they shouldn't witness someone taking the life of another, but I understand why though. But I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at those who told you do"

"Thank you" I needed to hear it from her.

The kids didn't reply. Probably because they were nervous and that though upset me.

"Optimus" I address him "We need to discuss about what we are going to do about Agent Borken"

"As startling as this revelation may be, we need to focus on a plan" He address to me and the Autobots.

"As you are the most qualified in these sorts of matters, I would like you're opinion Michael"

I had to think first. My brain going into overdrive. Ideas popped up and were sifted through at break neck speed.

"Fowler, do you know where he is?"

"Yes, he based in DC these days"

"Right, the plan is simple. We find him then apprehend him. Then I will extract the location of the missing files and retrieve them and move on from there. Optimus, I'll need the help of your team to catch him. I don't know what he is capable of"

"We will get going as soon as required"

"Well, let's go now. Time might be running out. Fowler, you're coming with me. And bring your side arm"

He went back to his desk to retrieve my Glock 17 and his Colt Detective Special "On second thoughts Fowler, you need a better gun than that piece of junk"

I looked shocked.

"Oh don't be like that, you have to be at point blank range for that to kill. Look, get yourself a Beretta 92 from the armoury, considering you might have been US military trained, chances are you know your way around that pistol"

He quickly ran down the corridor toward the armoury to get that weapon.

"Michael" Optimus wanted my attention.

"Will you require us in our true forms or through holograms?"

"As you are. We don't know if he has backup from the Con's"

Optimus simply nodded.

Fowler came back, sweating.

"You worn out already? Man you're out of shape. Maybe I should put you through training exercises, SBS style"

His face was of shock horror "Don't be like that, go through it and you'll end up with tight abs like mine, trust me it brings all the girls"

"I'm married"

"Well it'll impress the misses then" I heard June chuckle from a distance. Fowler and I made out way to the Jaguar. Before I get in I looked at Ratchet.

"Ratchet, fire up that quantum singularity of yours"

"Where to?"

Fowler gave him the coordinates and we got in, I lined the car up alongside the Autobots in their vehicle modes.

"Autobots, roll out"

We all drove through the swirling wall of light.


	19. Chapter 19

We all came through the ground bridge into a deserted alley in the heart of the city of Washington D.C. The capital of the United States. The place was gripped in the dark of night. Where the sun was setting in Nevada, it had already done so in the east coast.

"Right, which way are we going?" I asked Fowler.

"My best bet would be to head to the NSA HQ. He won't be there now, but we should be able to find out where he lives"

I called through to Ratchet "Ratchet, could you patch a route to the NSA building through to my car sat nav?"

_"One moment"_ His voice came through the speakers. We both looked at the screen and the sat nav then had a location and quickly calculated the route. I'd imagine the Autobots were receiving it as well as they sped off down the alley.

We came onto a street in convey in the order of Arcee, Bumblebee, my Jag with Fowler, Elita, Bulkhead and Optimus taking up the rear. We drove through the city quietly as to avoid too much attention.

As much as I would have like to have seen the sights of D.C., we were on a mission so sightseeing would have to wait. And considering it was night, there wasn't much to see anyway. We quickly headed out of the main part of the city and hit the Washington/Baltimore Parkway.

"Great a motorway, at night" I said.

"A freeway" Fowler corrected me.

"I speak proper English Fowler, not American"

The journey shouldn't take too long, half hour at most so it wasn't and arduous drive or anything, I just took a dislike to motorways at night.

After a half hour we all reached Fort Meade, the headquarters of the National Security Agency. The NSA. We rolled off the highway and came into the massive car park which surrounded the equally massive building. The moon was reflected off the windows making the whole building appear as a glass cube.

We pulled into the car par, near the entrance and we all parked up in a single file. I looked at the building through the car window along with Fowler.

"Right, now what?" I asked.

"Well someone has to go inside" Fowler said.

"You don't think?" I said with sarcasm. "Off you go then"

"I don't have clearance to go in and besides the place is closed for the night, except for a few people"

"Hang on Fowler, are you suggesting we break in?" I asked with alarm. He simply nodded and stared at me. I started to chuckle at the crazy idea I thought he might be thinking "Hang on a sec, you want me to do it?"

"Has to be, I mean look at me. I'm not fit like you and I'm not really a spook like you Brits, with all of your vanishing in thin air acts. I can't do that, but you can. So it has to be you"

"Ok, but how do I get in? And where do I go?"

Fowler spoke into the com system "Ratchet I need you to get the floor plans to the building. Raff, try to find some way of disabling any cameras"

_"We're working on it now"_ Ratchet replied.

"Actually Raff, take control of the camera, I need you as my eyes in the building, can you do that?" I asked.

_"Sure thing"_ I heard Raff say back.

"Ok, with that sorted, how do I get in?"

"My best bet would be the roof" Fowler said, sounding slightly unsure.

_"Yes I agree with Agent Fowler there"_ Ratchet said.

"Optimus, I need to get to the roof, any suggestions?" I asked him through the com.

_"I am unsure as to how to proceed"_ He said.

_"I can get you up"_ Arcee said brimming with confidence in her voice.

"You can?"

_"Well, I could climb up there no problem" _

I saw what she was getting at.

"Ok, we have a plan then. Ratchet, you got them yet?"

_"Yes, I will patch them through to your phone"_

"Brilliant. Raff?"

_"I've just hacked into the system and… yep, the cameras are mine. I can see everything and give me one minute and I can have them running a continuous minute loop showing nothing"_

"Nice one. You hacked it pretty fast, well done"

_"Thank you" _The young boy said.

I got out of the car and so did Fowler, the Autobots transformed now it was safe to do so. Arcee stepped over to us.

"Ok then, how are you going to get me up there?" I asked pointing at the top of the high building.

"As you humans say, 'piggy back'" She replied.

"Ah"

I heard Raff over the Autobots com link _"The cameras are sorted, you're ready to go"_

"Ok, let's get on with it then"

Arcee crouched down to allow me to climb up her back. I got a firm grip on the base of the wing like struts just below the shoulders. The struts squeezed against me, holding me tight. Arcee then stood up straight and stepped up to the building side.

"Hold on tight" She leaped up and grabbed at window sills and pulled her and my weight up and quickly began to climb the building. I didn't try to look down.

After what felt like an eternity being in that precarious position we climbed up to the roof. Arcee took a few steps away from the edge before allowing me back down off her back.

"You ok?" She asked turning around.

"Alright I suppose, never done that before"

"Didn't think you would. Now where to?"

"Fire door maybe. But it might be alarmed"

"Ratchet" Arcee spoke into her communicator, raising her finger to the side of her head "Check the fire escape door for alarms and deactivate"

_"Done"_ Came his voice.

"Ok, you're ready to roll"

I made it quickly to the door pulling out my phone.

"Ok Raff, anything I should worry about?"

_"No, you're good to enter"_

I twisted the knob and pulled the heavy red door slowly and creped in quietly. I made my way through the stairwell which was kept lit by emergency Florissant tube lights.

I made my way down the stairs and stopped to check my phone. I didn't want to speak as to keep my noise levels to a minimum. I saw that I had to go down ten meters west to the main stairwell and down five floors where Agent Borken's office is. I looked around the corridor and listened quietly for noises. The humming of the lift machinery was the only noise. No guards.

I lightly jogged down the corridor, hugging the left hand side ten meters to the stairwell on the right hand side. I stopped and listened. Again no noise. I made my way quietly down the steps, like a child might on Christmas Eve trying to get a glimpse of Santa without spooking him.

I made it slowly but surely down the stairs. Always in the back of my mind was if I was caught I would be in a whole heap of trouble. Had one of the kids been doing this, maybe Fowler could do something to help them. But me? No chance. I was aware that certain people would jump at the chance of getting their hands on me so capture was not an option.

I made it out of the stairwell. I checked my phone. I had to go down a corridor like the one on the top floor to the east only all the way. Then head south thirty meters down a right then into the office on the east side. There was one problem. There was a coffee room I had to get past first. There was a chance that a guard might be there so extra care was needed.

I creped through the corridor, hugging the left hand side. I always hugged the left because I was right handed, if I was required to use my gun, I could without the restriction of movement of my shooting hand. I kept my noise to a minimum while moving.

I had made it up to the point of the coffee room. It was on my left. I stopped to hear if anyone was in there. I heard the noise of a coffee machine boiling away. Someone was inside. I took a chance at seeing who. It was a night guard on a coffee break he was leaning on the worktop. I creped past at super slow speed, as if my body was in extreme slow forward. But the guard didn't see me. All he had to do was look slightly to his right and I was caught. But he didn't. The typical guard, not very observant. A quality you would expect them to have.

After a few more minutes of slow speed I made it to a wooden door. In the low light I could see it was Borken's office. But there was a card swipe entry system. I whispered into the phone "Raff, the door is locked, can you bypass the security?"

He knew to keep quiet so he didn't say anything. The single red light on the lock turned to green with the click of the lock unlocking. I tucked my hand into my sleeve and turned the handle and slowly entered the room, slowly closing the door behind, making sure to be as quiet as I did. When it was closed I stood up in a more normal stance.

"Ok, beginning a ghost sweep now"

_"What's a ghost sweep?"_ I heard Miko saying rather loudly through the phones speaker. Everyone there told her to hush.

"A ghost sweep is leaving everything as you see it as you came in"

My first option was to check the desk. I padded around the desk slowly. The desk was almost immaculate. This guy kept his desk tidy, good against what I was trying to do. I decided to look around the office for more clues as to where he was. I opened the draws, again with my hands in my sleeves. But there was nothing of importance. I checked all the draws of his desk but none had anything of use. I looked around the room. Surely there was something that had an address on it.

I saw a low table and soft chairs to one corner for one to one talks with people, and low and behold there were envelopes on it. I padded around the desk to the table. I could see that in a pile of envelopes there was one that screamed 'bill'. I carefully moved the envelope slightly to the right and read the address and slowly moved it back to the left as it was.

_"Michael, I've think you've been spotted"_ Raff said in a hurried whisper.

"What?" I shouted while whispering.

_"A guard is coming" _

I looked around to the door and heard the sound of the lock being bypassed.

_"Quick hide"_ Ratchet ordered.

I looked for the best place to hide as the door slowly opened. I had moments before I was caught. Moments before a whole army of agents came to swarm the place. But where to go? I looked around frantically. The door opened wide.


	20. Chapter 20

I dived and rolled behind the seats by the low table with almost no noise whatsoever. Being able to do such a thing with seemingly no noise takes a lot of practice. I laid flat on my stomach and concentrated on my breathing. I made no noise whatsoever. The door fully opened and the guard came in. From where I was I could see him, not a clear view but good enough. He had his gun ready on his belt but it was clear he wasn't expecting to use it. He slowly stepped into the office and gave a simple sweep of the room. When he saw nothing out of place he shrugged to himself and walked out casually, shutting the door rather loudly behind him.

I didn't breathe a sigh of relief, I still had to be silent. I also didn't get back up again. He still could walk back any moment as to surprise any intruder. So I waited six minutes. The reason for six is because the clocks may show time in segments of five minutes, but strangely enough the human brain likes to work in segments of roughly six minutes. A rule I also followed was: if they don't come after six minutes, they aren't coming at all.

I checked my watch to confirm that six minutes had passed. Then I got out of my hiding place.

"Raff, anything?"

_"No, it's all quiet again. You can head back to the roof now"_

"Thanks"

I stalked towards the door and knelt down as I opened it. I turned the handle incredibly slowly and eased the door open with the upmost care. I checked the corridor and there was no sign of the guard. I slipped out of the office into the corridor and carefully closed the door.

I made my way back the way I came, hugging the left hand side at all times. I passed the now empty coffee room, back up the stairs, along the ten meters of corridor and up the stairs towards the fire escape door to the roof.

I eased the fire door open and slowly crept out then closed it quietly.

Arcee was standing around, not bothered about being seen so seeing me act so quietly was of slight amusement to her.

"You got it then?"

"Sure I did, now let's get out of here"

She crouched down and I climb onto her back and grabbed on to her back struts which squeezed me tight.

"Ready?" She asked.

"Yep" I answered eager to get over and done with.

She climbed over the edged and began to slowly climb down the side of the building back toward the ground once again.

In quicker time we got to the bottom and she let me off her back.

"Well?" Fowler asked.

"It's an address in Baltimore"

"Damn, I thought so. His registered address is in D.C. itself. I had a feeling he was somewhere else"

"Wait, you knew his original address all this time?"

"Yeah, but I figured it was false"

I was irritated with him slightly, but then again with what's at stake I would have come to that conclusion as well.

I called base and gave them the address. Ratchet did a quick search and it was a flat near the docks.

I looked at my watch, it was coming to eight in the evening "Lets hit the road and give Agent Borken a night time house call"

The Autobots transformed and Fowler and I got in the Jag and in minutes we were back on the Washington/Baltimore Parkway.

We were cruising along at a steady seventy. I tuned the radio for some music to pass the time, luckily I found a station that played progressive house music.

"So Fowler" He looked at me "What do you know about Borken?"

"I've met him on a few occasions. First he was a simple street cop and over time came to work at the NSA. He's pretty neat and tidy with his work. Keep himself to himself, not the most social of people but damn fine at his work"

"How did he find the Autobots?"

"He was sent to investigate what seemed to be another UFO sighting. The FBI was called in first, but when they discovered that something unknown was causing damage to buildings they called the NSA and he was sent. One thing lead to another and he in a sense stumbled upon them. If he hadn't, chances are nobody would have known about them"

"Why wasn't he made the liaison? Why you?"

"Quite simply really. He was put through a physiological test of some sort and was found to be unfit for the duty. Guess they were right. Me? Maybe because I'm one of the only agents from the Pentagon who has the guts to stand up against Prime"

"Clearly. So how do you expect Borken to react when we arrive, from what you know of him?"

"After all this? I've no clue. Expect anything"

"Well you do all the talking. The moment he finds out who I am or if I'm British..."

"... he will run"

"Precisely"

He carried on down the motorway in silence. The music set the tone slightly. It made me feel slightly on edge. I wasn't sure what to expect in the next hour or so, but my best guess was it wasn't going to be nice.

After sometime we hit the city limits of Baltimore. I wasn't all that pleased to be here again as it was the last port the MV CSV Nevada Highway called into before my almost fateful meeting with the Lord of the Decepticons himself.

We all pulled off the off-ramp and made our way through the Avenues of the city following the signs that show the way to the port. After a few miles we came off the main roads and into the streets. The place was lined with brick buildings that conjured up memories of old American cop shows I used to watch back when I was younger. My favourites being like Hill Street Blues, Kojak and NYPD Blues to name a few. We pulled into a street which looked just like all the other streets in the area. Big blocky brick buildings filled with half decent flats, possibly old factories from years ago.

Fowler and I got out of the car, but due to the possibility of people around the Autobot remained in their vehicle modes. Fowler and I approached the door. There was one problem, we need to be buzzed in by someone in the flats. We couldn't just call Borken, as he would wonder how we found the place.

"How the hell do we get in? I'll call base"

"No need. Just watch and learn" Was all I said.

I looked at the buttons and names with them. I scanned them quickly to see if one was different to the other in some sort of way. I found it. There was a name that looked recently written in. The blue ink was less faded than the others. Probably made no more than two weeks ago. Someone that had moved in here recently into flat 18. That was my way in.

I pressed a button of a flat nowhere near flat 18. I pressed the highest number on the list.

_"Yeah"_ Came the accent of a New Yorker.

"I'm sorry to bother you but I've left my outdoor key in my flat. I-I know silly thing to do b-but I tried my neighbours but there not in. C-Could you possibly press the button. I-I've just moved in recently a-and I don't know what to do" I said in a clearly nervous voice.

There was silence for a moment_ "Alright, I shouldn't do this so just make sure you don't forget your key. I won't do it again"_

"T-Thank you" I deliberately stuttered.

The buzzer went and Fowler and I made our way in. Fowler looked amazed.

"Put somebody on the spot like that and chances are they do as you say"

"Nice" Was all he said.

We went down a dimly lit, empty foyer to the lift. We got in and the doors thumped shut, we rode it up to the fourth floor and the door slid away. We stepped out in to a narrow and equally dim corridor. We slowly made our way down the corridor looking for the right flat number. It was halfway down on the right. We stopped outside. Fowler to the right and myself on the left.

We both checked where our guns were just in case. We both looked at each other and nodded to confirm the other was ready.

Fowler knocked on the door, few but loud knocks which was meant to say: I want to speak to you so open the door, now.

The door opened after a few seconds. Stood behind the door was the face of a white man in his late forties, slim face and a fine jaw line. He looked like a man who looked after himself.

"Fowler? What are you doing here" He said in surprised tone, which was no surprise to us.

"Hello Borken. May we come in? There is a problem involving the Autobots" Fowler said in a calm manner.

"Sure, come in" He opened the door wider to allow us in. We stood inside the hallway and he led us through to the main room, keeping himself between us and the hallway.

"So who's your grunt then?" He asked.

"Just someone from the agency who's working with me at the moment" Was all Fowler said.

"Ok Fowler, so what's the problem?"

"It would seem the Con's have gained information about the Bot's that could be crucial to their war. We were going around everyone involved to see if they knew anything. Do you?"

He shook his head "I haven't heard anything" He said it like he had been asked to confirm if the sky was blue and the grass was green, no hint of deceit.

"Heard of a guy called Rickers?"

He looked like he thinking hard about it "The name rings a bell, not sure why though. Who is he?"

"He's the forth one to be under the protection of the Autobots. While he was working he was attacked by the Con's. They said something about a mole. You sure you don't know anything?"

Borken seemed to change slightly. Where Fowler might not have the eye for spotting such things, I had. Borken was starting to crack. He could see the hunters coming in for the capture.

"Who did you say the name of your grunt was again?"

"I didn't" Fowler said confused. I knew why he asked that question. He was trying to delay the questions fired at him to give him a chance to think.

He looked at me and asked "You heard of this Rickers guy?"

I just shrugged. But unfortunately it clicked in his head. His face went slightly pale, shock on his face.

"It's you" Was all he said.

"The one and only" I said. He heard my accent and it was enough to confirm it all to him.

"Damn you English, you had to get involved didn't you"

"I need to ask you a question. Heard of Jason Hadfield?"

"Shit" Was all he said. He lunged for a drawer and pulled out a handgun. Both Fowler and I hit the floor and Borken opened fire. Glass shattered and wood splinters flew all over the place. We both waited for the dust to settle and saw that he made a run for it.

I was straight away on the phone.

"Optimus, Borken found out who I was and is on the move. He's also armed"

_"Understood"_

We both ran out of the flat and into the corridor, both with guns drawn. We aimed ahead in the direction of the fire escape. The door was still open. We ran into the stairwell and were forced back as burst of fire ricocheted all over the place. Both of us flinching as the bullets were flying past. When it stopped we half ran half jumped down the flights of stairs.

We hit the ground floor but the door hadn't been opened.

"The basement" We both said in unison.

We hit the next floor below. Ran through the already opened floor into an underground car park. We stopped to detect any sign of him. To our left headlights lit us up as a BMW X5 sped towards us. We both rolled away before getting hit. I tried a shot at the tires but missed. The car rounded a corner out of my line of fire.

"Optimus, he's in a silver BMW coming out of a underground car park"

_"Copy that" _

Fowler and I ran back towards the stairs to the ground floor. We burst through the dimly lit foyer to see the BMW speed past and the Autobots in chase in the street. We slammed the doors open and sprinted for the Jag. We both got in and I started the engine, slammed it into reverse and reserved the way we came down the street. I performed a J-turn and smashed the throttle to catch up.

I switched to sport plus mode for more a better response from the engine and overall more control of the car. Ratchet had patched through the locations of the Autobots onto the Sat Nav screen so I was able to catch up quickly.

We quickly saw Optimus at the end of one street trying to round a corner. I floored it and did a power-slide around the junction where he was seconds ago. We came behind Optimus and he moved to the side to allow me through.

"Take the next right" Fowler instructed. So I did. Slowing down enough to go round the junction without burning the tires. There's only so much they can take. We hit an avenue and we really hit speed. I dodged the traffic, weaving through the traffic at break neck speed. Many cars sounding their horns and flashing their lights as we overtook.

"He's heading for a way out of the city" Fowler said.

"Not for long"

We saw Bulkhead up ahead and blocking our way.

"Bulkhead, move it!" I ordered through the comm.

As Bulkhead moved to one side I again mashed the pedal.

"Bulkhead, take the next left and follow that road" Fowler instructed to him.

_"On it" _He replied.

"Michael, thousands yards take the left" I nodded.

We weaved through more traffic.

"Has anyone got eyeball on him?" I asked.

_"I'm right up his tailpipe"_ Arcee's voice came through.

_"And I'm close by"_ Elita added.

I slowed and made the left turn and sped up again.

"Optimus, follow Bulkhead, you'll get through quicker that way" Fowler informed him.

_"Understood"_

The streets were becoming less and less congested and began to open up for faster speeds. The buildings were becoming less and less and the country side starting to take dominance over the scenery.

I could see Bumblebee's rear lights in the distance. I was quickly gaining on him. Before I had the chance to tell him to make way, he already did. I blasted past him, which probably do his ego any good.

"Arcee, where is he?" I asked for an update.

_"Still behind him, but he's getting away, I've lost my advantage" _Her advantage being agility.

"Stay on him, I'll be right there any moment"

I continued to dodge the traffic but luckily it was becoming more and more sparse.

_"Damn it"_ Arcee growled. _"He's headed for the freeway"_

"Which way?"

_"Towards D.C."_

I saw an earlier turn off for the motorway so I took it. I hit the on-ramp and punched it.

"We're going to ram him off the road?" Fowler asked.

"No, I'm not stupid like the cops in this country. No dangerous manoeuvres unless absolutely necessary. By the book"

According to the Association of Chief Police Officers in the UK, a motorway or dual carriageway is the safest place to perform any sort of tactical manoeuvres also known as TPAC, tactical pursuit and containment. In this case the best option would be to use a rolling road block and turn it into a 'box and stop' move. Not only is much more effective than a PIT manoeuver commonly used by US police, but it is considerably much safer to the public.

But there was one problem, the public. We couldn't do all this with so many people watching, so we had to take the chase somewhere away from prying eyes.

I got onto the main carriageway and moved quickly to intercept the fleeing NSA agent and attempt to get him off the motorway.

We passed the junction Borken joined from and not too far ahead in the distance were three racing vehicles. A silver BMW with a pink Honda close behind and a blue sports bike trying to catch up.

"Arcee, get in my slipstream" I told her.

I zoomed past her at one hundred and fifty miles per hour and the car pushed the air out of the way for Arcee to gain speed in order to catch up.

"We need to get him off the highway everyone. I'm going to try and get in front"

I overtook Elita and came close to Borken. He saw me and knew what I was trying to do. He started to weave across the road, but by doing so he was slowing down which Elita took advantage of to sneak ahead. She got in front and slammed on the anchors.

Borken slowed even more for me to be able to get to his left hand side to drive him to the hard shoulder.

I was so tempted to end it right there, but I knew we couldn't do that.

Elita kept in front with me on the left and Arcee weaving from behind. Not too far behind Bumblebee who took over Arcee's blocking from the rear and we soon had him boxed.

The next turn off came. We all tighten and forced him onto it. We got him on the off ramp when he suddenly braked sharply, causing Bumblebee to run straight into him. Before Elita and I could react, there was a gap and Borken took it. He went around my left from behind and floored it down the country road.

We all burned rubber to play catch up. I got in front with Elita right behind. Arcee and Bee were close behind. The road was heading toward a main road that connected the two cities. The road was empty and no buildings nearby. It was the best place to stop him.

In the distance coming the other way were a Red Semi big rig and a green SUV, both blocking the road. Borken slammed on the brakes and came to a complete stop. Before he could go backwards, I slowed and bumped into the back of him and Elita came to a stop on the left side, preventing the driver's door from opening which trapped Borken. Before he could get to the passenger door, Bumblebee blocked that one too.

Fowler and I jumped out of the car with guns drawn, both going for the driver's door.

Elita back up and I took aim. Borken had his gun ready too.

"DROP YOU WEAPON! DROP YOUR WEAPON! DROP YOUR WEAPON!" I repeatedly ordered, shouting as loud as I could, as any armed police officer would.

The Autobots transformed and took aim as well.

"DROP YOUR WEAPON NOW, OR I WILL FIRE!"

When he knew it was all over, he flung it in the back.

"HANDS ON YOUR HEAD, NOW!"

He slowly did so. I moved in and opened the driver's door and grabbed him by the back of his collar and dragged him out onto the floor.

Fowler came in and took hold of Borken's hands and held them behind his back. The Autobots disarmed and Bulkhead transformed back into vehicle mode, opening his rear left passenger door.

Fowler and I shoved Borken in and the seat belt wound itself tightly around him, restraining him.

Fowler got in on the other side and kept his gun aimed at him.

"Let's move before we're spotted" I said.

"Ratchet, send a bridge" Optimus ordered.

I walked back to the BMW and got in to park it neatly out of sight. Got out and went back to the Jag.

"Nice driving back there" Arcee commented.

I gave her a courteous nod before climbing in. The rest of the Autobots transformed and a ground bridge portal opened up before us. In no time we were on our way back to base.


	21. Chapter 21

Again just like with Hadfield before I was sat in a chair on the opposite side of a table to Borken with Fowler in another chair on my right. This time everyone else was close in as well as we consider Borken not to be a threat. The Autobots surrounded the table, glaring at him as they had been betrayed by him.

Fowler's and the Autobots emotions were running a high due to this betrayal so I opted to lead the interview as I didn't know him personally. To me he was just another man to deal with.

"We have a few things to discuss you and I" I started. Borken sat slumped in his seat. He was the exact opposite to the recently deceased Hadfield, there was no confidence, no flare. Just a man who knew it was all over for him, utterly defeated with nothing left to lose.

"Shall we talk about your reckless driving, endangering other road users? Or should we discuss about how you fired a gun at Fowler and myself?" I paused for added effect and lowered my voice slightly and leaned in closer "Or should we talk about how you have been leaking information to the Decepticons and betraying the Autobots?"

He remained silent, looking at his feet at shuffling in his seat slightly.

"Well?"

"I… Well…" He was struggling where to start.

"Ok, let's start from where it all began shall we? How long have you been passing information?"

"Not long, since late August"

"Ok, now how have you been in contact with them?"

"I sent out a signal on a certain frequency and they come to that location straight away"

"And so far, how much have you given them?"

"Little, I try to keep things on my terms, but they lean on me more and more"

"Ok. When you got your hands on the Custodes terrae file. What did you with it? Do the Decepticons have it?"

"No, well not entirely anyway. They tried to force me to give it all up, but I didn't because then I would lose what little control I had over them. After a while they were getting tired of waiting and started to question if I had anything at all. So to prove I did I gave them information about the CSV Nevada Highway and that you were serving on board it, as they had mentioned you from time to time. Until they made their move on you which they informed me about they were relatively happy with what I had given to them. But soon they want more and more. But I tried to hold back as to keep control because if I gave it all, I was afraid they would kill me when I was beyond useful"

"So if they don't have it, then where is it then?"

"Somewhere where I knew the Autobots couldn't reach"

"And that would be?"

He slowly looked up at me, his face changed. He was grinning, as if pleased with himself. He chuckled slightly "It's in a military base in Montana. Only this base is manned by people like myself. We have sworn an allegiance with the Decepticons. So if the Autobots wanted to retrieve the files on behalf of the British government, it would mean they would have to kill us humans which they have vowed to protect. Also it is within sight of a town so they would also be spotted. It is immune to Autobot attack" He started to laugh out loud, very pleased with himself.

I looked up at the Autobots. If it wasn't for Optimus I was pretty damn sure Borken would have been pancaked. I raised my hand to try and calm there nerves.

"Ok then. So it is immune from them then? Did you think about someone like me?"

"Ha! You think you can just walk in there? And what would you do when to get there? I'm pretty sure you couldn't hack the security systems"

I started to glace to Ratchet "Don't think about it. The place is isolated completely. It even has its own power supply so even he can't hack the system, you have to do it on site. And besides you would need a small army to break in"

"So you don't think I could get it?"

"Yeah"

"Then obviously there is something you don't know about me"

"And what's that?"

"Just like Hadfield, I was trained by the SBS and have done some work with the service"

His new gained confidence just drained out of him. His plans had been ruined by that sentence. Just like when I criminal who thinks they have gotten away with it turns the next corner and runs smack into the hands of the law. All his efforts were thrown out of the window.

A new emotion came to him. Anger "Grrr, you English think you have the right to police the world"

At that moment everyone, possibly even Optimus, winced at that comment. They all knew my distaste at begin labelled as English. They knew I took my Welsh heritage seriously. My face scrunched up. Now was my turn to be mad at him, but he didn't stop there.

"If this is the best the English have got, then the Autobots are in more trouble than I thought"

I stood up and strode around the table and stood tall over him, I picked him off his chair, standing him up.

I snarled at him "I'm Welsh"

And with that I head butted him, He collapsed back on the chair and was out cold.

The Autobots save Optimus looked pleased that how they saw it, some justice begin done.

I looked up at "Optimus, Arcee. May I speak to you two in private please?"

Optimus gestured to the nearest corridor. I followed behind them, trying to keep up.

I got myself to a ledge. It was just like all that time ago when I admitted to them about my past and for permission to carry a gun in the base. Only now I was going to ask a lot more.

"From what I gather, I would guess that this base is going to be a challenge. We know you can't go as he just explained how. But I doubt that even I could break in"

"So what is your suggestion?" Optimus asked.

"I need a highly trained team. A team made for this sort of purpose" I paused and tried to think how to say it. But I simply went for the simple way "Ok, I'm just going to come out with it. Optimus I would like your permission to invite more people to this base"

"Whoa!" Arcee exclaimed "Michael, we just can't allow more humans into our war. We can't possibly protect more humans"

"Hold on Arcee" Optimus ordered putting a hand out to extenuate his verbal command. "Michael, who is this team that you speak of?"

"My instructors who taught me to fight. Squadron X of the Special Boat Service"

I could sense Optimus' doubts about allowing this request

Arcee made her say "Optimus, I have to object to this. We simply can't have more humans knowing about us. If the Cons find out, I doubt we could protect them as well the others here"

"Actually Arcee, that's where you're wrong. They know about you already. If the British Government know of you then so does all the British special forces. That's the SAS, the SBS, the SRR and the SFSG"

"So you wish to team up with your instructors to reclaim the stolen files?"

"Yes Optimus. It's the only way. They already know about you and they are an elite war unit. I doubt the Decepticons could even find them first, let alone attack them"

Arcee was still clearly not happy, but she couldn't argue. We remained silent as the great Prime thought to himself as to what decision he was going to make.

"Michael, I will allow this"

Arcee was about to protest but Optimus stopped her "However, for as long as they fight on our behalf, we Autobots will watch over them should the Decepticons show up. I understand that there ability to hide is second to none, however I am under no illusions to the fact that if they were to be ambushed by the Decepticons, I would seriously doubt in their ability to fight back. We will guard them from a distance while they operate"

"Thank you Optimus. I know it is a great ask for you. Like before, I wouldn't have asked if there was another way"

"That is quite alright Michael. I understand you have our best interests at heart. And for that I thank you"

I felt very humbled by that statement. "Thank you. Well I better start drawing up plans"

I hopped back to the floor and the three of us made our way back to the main room.

Borken was still out cold so I pulled Fowler to one side "Fowler, I'm going to need a layout of that base, can you do that?"

"That shouldn't be a problem. We've known about that base for a while"

"What?"

"There was a base taken over by a militant group a few years ago in Montana. But the base was of little use to the Pentagon, it was built in the cold war days and has never been used. It was due for decommissioning. But when this group took a useless base and started claiming independence we just left them to it. Guess we didn't really know what I was all about after all"

"So can you get the plans?"

"I'll call the Pentagon for them, straight away. So what's your plan?"

"I'm calling in the SBS to help out"

"Why not the taskforce?"

"No, the task force is an army, should the Bots fail. We need a team that works secretly all the time. I know the SBS and I know what they can do"

"If you say so. I'll call the air force to have spy-planes fly over the area"

"Won't the base spot them?"

"No, they'll look like commercial jet liners from high above. They don't fly in circles, just long straight patterns mimicking the jet above, they won't suspect a thing"

"Right ok. You get on with that while I call an old friend" He went towards the platform with computers to get on with that. I walked around to the table in the middle of the vast room, in front of the ground bridge to see Borken still out cold.

"Bulkhead, Bee. Just keep an eye on him for now would you?"

"Sure thing" Bulkhead replied, Bee just nodded.

I made my way up the steps to my desk and picked up the phone. I dialled a number and it rang.

_"Captain Wallace speaking"_ Said a man's voice who had been woken up.

"You're a Captain now?"

_"Who is this?"_ He sounded annoyed.

"Michael Rickers, sir"

_"Mike? Is that really you?"_ His voice changed from one of annoyance to that of surprise.

"Present and correct, Sarge" I replied to him as I did all those years ago.

_"Now this I didn't expect, wow your voice has changed. How old are you now, twenty?"_

"Nineteen"

_"Well what can I do for you?"_

"Well, this is going to take some time to explain, are you busy?"

_"No, I was sleeping"_

"Sorry to have wake but it is very urgent. Well this is the situation…"


	22. Chapter 22

**Authors Note**

I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. It reminded me of a few months back while I was on board the MV Hyundai Discovery. For some periods of weeks we had a security team made up of ex royal marines to help us safely pass the Indian Ocean Piracy Zone. I learnt a heck of a lot from those guys and listening to their war stories were just fascinating, now looking back on this I see that what I learnt has come through, those were good times.

Oh, and please I really want those reviews. I mean come on, I want to know what you think.

I feel a sequel coming along and I have some vague ideas. Have you got any suggestion? If so please let me know. With so much going on with my studies I haven't thought much about it. So whatever your idea, no matter how big or small, weird or wonderful. I would gladly like to hear from you.

Thank you.

* * *

><p>Faslane Naval Base, HMNB Clyde<p>

Argyll & Bute, Scotland

United Kingdom

In a matter of hours a lot had been done in the dead of night on both sides of the Atlantic. In DC the Pentagon had been inform about the military base in Montana and had given approval for the SBS to go through with the mission. Not that the SBS would need approval, as they could do it without the Pentagon ever realizing it. In the UK, squadron X of the SBS had been assembled and had geared themselves up for the impending mission in double quick time.

I had travelled through the ground bridge with the Autobots to rendezvous with them and to transport them to the Autobot base to save time.

There were no ships entering or leaving and the Subs weren't moving either so it was all quiet on the base. The Autobots were standing in one of the buildings were the Submarines would be dry docked. It was designed to keep the Subs out of sight so it would have no problem keeping the Autobots out of sight as well.

We were waiting for the team to arrive. I was stood in front of the Autobots and for the first time in a long I was slightly nervous. It had been nine years since I last saw them. I was slightly nervous because it was them I always looked up to them when I was trained by them for seven months.

"You ok?" Elita asked seeing that I was pacing around.

"Yeah. I'm just apprehensive about meeting them after such a long time. I'm wondering what they will think of me? Am I what they hoped I would turn into?"

"I'm sure you are everything they expected. You're very capable in tough situations. And I know that with absolute certainty. You'll be fine"

"I hope so"

We went quiet. I stopped pacing around. We had been waiting to near an hour now.

"Well, where are they?" Arcee asked, starting to get annoyed.

And as if on cue the doors to the corner of the building which allowed vehicles access opened up. The headlights of a black long wheeled based Land Rover followed by an identical one raced into the building towards us.

They came to a stop forming a V shape. The headlights lit all of us in the dark of the dry dock.

The driver's door of the lead Land Rover opened and out came Captain Wallace, the one who over saw my training all those years ago. He was dress in the standard black tactical outfit. His boots thumped on the floor.

He was a man in his late thirties, early forties. Slim jaw line, and overall looked like your regular hard-ass. On his head was a navy blue beret with the SBS badge, the up pointing sword with two blue wavy lines and the motto underneath: With Strength and Guild. The rest of the team, consisting of fourteen others, all wearing balaclava's to conceal their identity and wielding their SA80's naval standard assault pointed down to their lefts.

They made their way towards us with a heavy walk due to the equipment. The Autobots took a more rigid stance in respect to the SBS squadron as one war unit would do for an allied war unit. The SBS team stopped roughly ten foot from myself and the Autobots and stood in a perfect line, feet shoulders width apart and backs straight. It's as formal as they get, and very rare for them. If the Autobots were showing them respect, then the SBS would pretty much be worshipping the ground they walked on, for they knew that the Autobots were the absolute elite war unit on the planet.

Captain Wallace strode up towards me and stopped a few feet from me and saluted. I saluted back as I had complete and utter respect for the man. At the end of the day he was like my commanding officer and everything I knew came from him. He was my mentor.

"You've grown" Was how he greeted me.

"And you haven't" I replied.

He smirked and stepped forward for a man hug. We patted each other on the back.

"It's been a long time Mike"

"It's Michael these days"

"You're still that kid from all those years to me. To me you're still Mike"

"It's good to see you again Sarge, however I wished it was on better circumstances"

He took a step back, and then did he take in the size of the Autobots. What he was feeling was so easy to work, he was complete awe at them.

Optimus came down to one knee so to less intimidating to the Captain. Wallace stepped around me and towards Optimus.

"Captain Jonathon Wallace, commanding officer of Squadron X of the Special Boat Service. It is an absolute privilege to be speaking with you" For the first time ever did I see the man bow to someone. If there was something he was good at it was understanding, and he understood that Optimus wasn't just a commander, but he was the leader of the entire Autobot army and he was extremely important to the Cybertronian race.

"I am honoured to meet you as well Captain, Michael has always held your team in high regard, however it is not necessary to bow, but I am deeply honoured with your level of respect"

"The defenders of the entire world should get all the respect they deserve" Captain Wallace replied.

The next few minutes were taken up with introductions from both sides. There were faces I remember and some I didn't as the team removed their balaclavas.

We had to get going. The one thing the SBS don't do is hang around.

Captain Wallace address his team "Ok, lads. Enough with the pleasantries, we got a mission to carry out, so load up!" The man made a dash for the Land Rovers and climbed in.

"Space for one more?" I asked.

"Sure, but how are we going to their base?"

"It's a surprise"

We jogged over to the lead Land Rover and I got in the front passenger seat while Wallace drove. I got in and was poke from behind.

"Mack" I said, glad to see him. He was a good friend and was the class clown of the team.

"How, you doing Mickey?"

"When are you ever going to stop calling me that?"

He shrugged.

"Hey, let's play a game"

"What?" Was the reaction from everyone else.

"I spy we my little eye, something beginning with S"

I looked at him stunned. Was there ever a moment where he didn't joke "Oh, I don't know. A shipyard?"

"No, sheeeeeeeeep" he chuckled.

I rolled my eyes and looked forward again. "Fucking bone"

"You know it's funny"

"Oh just drink some Irn Bru you stupid Scot"

Everyone laughed at Mack.

"Right guys, prepared to be amazed, and whatever you do, don't blink"

The ground bridge portal open up behind the Autobot and they turned around to go through.

Wallace was so amazed he was starting the 4X4.

"Just drive into it, don't worry it's perfectly safe. Just drive"

He started the engine, selected first and edged the vehicle towards the portal. The following Land Rover was too a bit wary about entering the ground bridge but we entered the swirling wall of light.

All the lads were watching the spectacle all around of the amazing display of light. But all too quickly we came out of the portal into the Autobot base. Like before the Land Rovers parked in a V formation in the centre of the control room.

We got out and just like did the first time I arrived, they looked high into the ceiling far above, then slowly down taking in the sheer size of the place.

"Welcome to our base, our home" Optimus announced like people do when greeting someone into their home.

"Cool" I heard Miko shout out from the platform. The guys looked up in surprise. They were aware of the children but didn't think one would be so loud.

She came running down and did what she always did. Shoot questions at a million miles on hours. Wallace just walked up calmly to the girl and put his index finger over her mouth and it silenced her instantly.

"Miss Nakadai I take it?"

"Yeah"

"Yep, the intel was right"

"What intel? What did it say?"

"That you're very gobby"

"Huh?"

"You talk too much" He clarified. I don't think anyone had said that to the girl before in fear of the repercussions but Wallace wasn't easily that scared of something. But it seemed to work as Miko just shut her mouth, not saying anything and looking very annoyed.

The others came down to meet the team, although not at the same enthusiasm as Miko. Fowler was the first to break the ice.

"Special Agent William Fowler" He introduced, then introduced the others as they all became shy. I thought it was strange seeing that they weren't shy with the Autobots.

After that we got to business. Wallace, Fowler and I got to the platform where we could discuss tactics with the Autobots.

On the giant screens was a layout on the military base in Montana and snapshots that the spy planes had taken.

Wallace looked at Fowler "So what do we know about the place?"

"Old cold war base which used to house anti-missile launchers in-case the USSR tried to fire from over the pole. The missiles were removed years ago then just left at minimum staffing since a few years ago when it was about to be decommissioned"

"What about the buildings themselves?"

"Nothing special, built quickly and cheaply. That's if there hasn't been any modifications which we haven't been able to confirm"

"Ok" Wallace went silent as he always did when he was running through plans.

"Come on then Head Shed, what's your plan?" I asked.

"We get more information. Show me where this Borken guy is" Fowler led him away down one of the corridors to where Borken had been put in a secure room. I felt a little bit of pity for Borken as I knew what he was about to be faced with.

"Why does he want to see him?" Arcee asked.

"What do you think?"

She mulled over it for a few seconds then it popped in her head "Oh. Should I feel sorry for Borken?"

"Nah, he had it coming really"

Seeing that it would some time until Wallace came back I went to catch up with the rest of the team.

They were gathered on the main floor with the others and the Autobots exchanging war stories.

The Autobots tended to do this a lot, but the SBS? Never. All there missions were classified for sixty years minimum unless otherwise stated so they would never discuss war stories. But in the current situation there wasn't a problem. So this was the only time that they could do it so they did.

"… yeah I few year ago we did a training exercise with the Navy SEAL's, oh man it was so funny"

"Yeah?" Bulkhead, Bee and Elita were listening intently.

"We reached the RV and dug in hard. An hour or so later the SEALS's turn up just standing there, waiting for us, completely clueless. Soon Head Shed turns up on his own. I could hear the SEAL's commander. He asked where the rest of us were as he couldn't see us. So Head Shed said that was the whole point and on cue we come out of our holes with weapons drawn. We could have shot them all down right there. Oh man the look on their faces were priceless"

The Autobots saw the humour behind it.

"Nice" Bulkhead said.

"Hey what happened to Collins?" I asked. The guy's faces then looked a bit sullen.

"Iraq, 2003. We were taking out a scud near Basra. We got in and did the job ok, however the Jundie shot him in the leg. He died on the way back in the Chinook. He died in action"

"Oh"

"Yeah, it was a real blow to see him go down like that. But it wasn't in vein"

"Just what he would have wanted"

"Didn't your ship get pirated in the Indian ocean?"

"Yeah. On the way to Dubai. They held the ship for two days but we locked ourselves in the engine room and shut everything down. A destroyer came along and rescued us"

"When this is over maybe we could discuss more about it. M Squadron would like to know as that's their primary objective these days"

"There Anti-Piracy now?"

"Yeah, for the last three years. Didn't you hear?"

"No"

So the next hour went like that. Discussing the past while waiting for Wallace and Fowler to come back.

After a good long hour they came back.

"All right lads, sit rep!" Wallace gave the command.

We all gathered around the giant screen again.

"Right, here's what we got. The military base is situated here in the lower part of this valley with the town to the west. If we look at the map we can see the road leading to it forms a hand on the map. Five roads from different directions with one directly from the town. Eventually all the roads lead into one road roughly one mile from the base. This is their MSR"

"MSR?" Arcee asked.

"Main Supply Route. Everything that comes in or out has to go through here. By holding this place we can control what goes in or out"

"Right, gotcha"

"Now looking at the geography of the place, the mountains protect the base from any sort of air attack, apart from high altitude bombing. So we can't air drop on the base, so the road is the only way. Seeing that the place is surrounded by virgin forest, setting up snipers will be too much of a challenge for them to be of any use"

"So are we going for a smash and grab?" I asked.

"Yep. It's the only way"

"We carrying our Bergen?"

"No, we'll keep it light. We'll treat it like a CT op. For those who don't know, CT mean counter terrorist"

"Sorry" Elita interrupted "But what is a smash and grab?"

Wallace looked at her as if she had said a bad joke "It's exactly what it says on the tin"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa" Bulkhead stepped in "You're just going to smash in there?"

Wallace tried to think of the best response but just came back with "Yes"

"So when to we go?"

"Straight away. It's… four in morning now in Montana so best time to strike. Right any questions?"

"What will be up against?"

"Shouldn't be too bad. The whole place is run by inexperienced sporadic group of fighter who aren't very well trained. The only problem should be to get into the vault where the laptop is held"

"Will you require assistance in breaking in?" Optimus asked.

"We should be fine. If the door becomes too much of a problem then we'll just blow a hole in the wall. Any other questions?" There was silence "Ok we use that… thing to get to the MSR and hold it. Equip with minimal weapons and NVA's. OK load up!" The squad got to work with kitting up.

Captain Wallace pulled me to one side "Michael, I've brought along equipment for you as well, if you want to come along?"

I didn't need to think about it "Where do I find it?"

We got ourselves ready. The squad including myself were kitted out in black tactical clothing. One my head I was wearing a helmet and gas mask with the two big circular black tinted lenses to hide my face with the gas filter to one side. The masks were because we intended to use a lot of flash bangs and also we didn't know if there were chemical weapons on the base. As I was one of the biggest built I was giving a fairly large back pack carrying high explosives that we could use to blow a hole in a wall and extra ammo should it be needed and other stuff. Plus I was carrying an portable rocket launcher as I was going to be what the regiment like to call the doorman. Since I was specialized in standalone combat it was my job to sneak off and find a place to launch a rocket at the entrance of the base and lay down covering fire as the rest of the team went it.

The men got in the Land Rovers but I was going in with the Autobots. The plan would be for some of the guys to stay with them to hold the MSR while everyone else hit the base.

I mounted Arcee in her vehicle mode as the other Autobots transformed which made the lads stop a stare in amazement.

The Autobots save for Ratchet went through first then followed by the Land Rovers.


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note**

I was hoping to have done better on this chapter but I had been distracted by the fact that Wales won the Grand Slam in the Rugby Union Six Nations again for the third time in seven years. I've spent the weekend just going crazy. So many Grand Slam's, starting to loose count. For those who don't know about the Six Nations; i.e. Americans, it is like winning the Superbowl constantly for ten years in a row. So the Welsh have had a lot to celebrate. Damn I wish I was back in Cardiff right now. Yeah GO WALES! CMYRU YN BYTH!

But anyway enjoy this chapter anyway. Oh and Please review. _**Pretty please?**_

* * *

><p>North West Montana<p>

United States

The ground bridge opened up onto a small dirt road in the middle of the thick virgin forest in the mountainous state. We stopped on the road. The Autobots transformed once a scan showed there so no one watching. The SBS team got out the Land Rovers and I dismounted Arcee.

Captain Wallace spread a map out on the bonnet of the 4X4 he was in. We all gathered around to see with the Autobots looming over us.

"Right, here the plan. Three teams, Alpha team will remain here and hold this road and will coordinate between the other teams and the base, also acting as back up should it be needed. Bravo team will the main hitting force. They'll smash in, make a lot of noise and hold back any enemy forces and provide cover for Charlie Team who will retrieve the laptop. Everyone in agreement?"

Everyone seemed alright with the plan as they were nods from everyone.

Wallace continued "Right here are the teams. Myself and two others along with the Autobot will remain here, we are Alpha. Bravo will consist of the rest of the squadron"

He looked at me "Michael, you'll be Charlie. You alright with that?"

"Just me by myself?"

"Yeah"

"I would like Arcee to accompany me. I would like an Autobot near me should on the off chance we get Decepticon trouble"

He thought about it briefly "Alright, if it's alright with her" His head turn up to Arcee silently asking the question

"I have no problem" She said.

"Ok, ready to go then. One more thing. We may have approval from the Pentagon but should the shit hit the fan go to evade and escape procedures, so don't approach any form of government. Everyone clear on that"

"YES SIR!" The squadron yelled back.

"Ok, MOVE OUT!" He bellowed like any military commander.

I hefted the heavy bag on my back and slapped in a magazine into my SA80 "C'mon Arcee, this way" I lead her into the trees heading north while Bravo team headed west along the dirt road.

As we went out of sight of the others I heard Arcee's weapons come online. I stopped and turn around.

"Just in case" She said "Can't be caught with our guard down"

"Fair enough" I replied "Right, I'll keep point, if that's alright with you?"

"Lead the way"

I turned around and went into a run. Well it was more of a jog considering the weight on my back. It was damn heavy but I was making progress. I was going fast enough for Arcee to jog.

I had seen the map and we had about roughly a mile to cover. Bravo team would be taking their time to make sure there weren't any booby traps waiting for them. I had to get ready before they arrived so they weren't hanging around. There had to be no stoppages in the plan. The plan had to run like clockwork. For this reason I was running.

My boots were stomping away, but that was nothing compare to the stomping that Arcee's feet caused.

The pace was easy going. We had probably cover a quarter mile until I thought I saw something move in the distance through the trees. I skidded to a stop and dropped. Arcee followed suit. She crawled up alongside me and was about to ask why, but I raised a finger to tell her to remain silent.

I listened and listened hard. There was the sound of footsteps. Two people. Possibly thirty to forty meters ahead. I told Arcee to stay and I crawled forward, having to use the rifle to propel me along the undergrowth.

I stopped at a bush which edged clearing in the trees which turned out to be a worn path. I saw two men, both clearly solders. From the camouflage I could tell it was US army. I tried to identify which branch of the army they were part of. My first thoughts were Military Police seeing how the base was overrun by traitors.

But they weren't MP's or any other branch. For the badge that was on their arms of their jackets was the symbol of the Decepticons.

They weren't very well trained. They were in the moonlight all lit up. That meant they couldn't see the darkest places as the moonlight distorted their night vision. Plus they were standing right next to each other. Making them an easy target. They had to be spread out a bit so if one was hit the other had time to react before the attacker could move on to the second.

I radioed Alpha Team.

"Charlie One here. I've spotted two hostiles. Two foot soldiers brandishing the Con logo" I whispered.

_"Alpha One here. You are clear to dispose of them"_

"Copy that, engaging hostiles"

I slowly pulled back the bolt on the rifle with great care to remain silent. I watched the two come from the right coming towards my direction along the worn path. I waited and waited.

They came within ten feet. I aimed from within the bush and fire two shots. Both were head shots. They went down on instant. The big rounds from the rifle had completely removed their brains from their heads. We had to use head shots. They always worked and used little ammo, plus when they are blasted in the head the body doesn't jerk in any way that could result in their own weapons going off. As we were taught, they went down like liquid.

I remained motionless encase there were more hostile in the nearby area, but quickly it was obvious there were none. I got off the floor and Arcee got up as well.

I stepped onto the path and looked down at the two corpses. Arcee looked as well.

"They were working for the Decepticons" I said.

"I can't believe that humans would side with them"

"The Cons probably spun them a web of lies and corrupted their minds"

"Possibly"

"We need to move" I said bringing us back to focus.

I ran back into the trees in the direction we were going in originally. Arcee followed.

We kept on going until the point where the night sky was lit by the glow of the base. I slowed to a walk with my rifle aimed in the direction I was looking and with it I scanned the trees above and the bushes and undergrowth for enemies hiding. Arcee was a few paces back doing the exact same thing, only she was using her ability to sweep through the electromagnetic spectrum to spot something that I was completely blind to. But as luck would have it, there was no one hiding.

We came to a good vantage which overlooked the main entrance. The base was at the floor of the small valley and took up the entire width of it. Arcee and I were on a ridge which was roughly ninety meters to the north west with an elevation of twenty meters. I kneeled down and place the rifle down along with my back pack. Arcee crouched down next to me she watched as I assembled the light anti-tank rocket launcher. It was very simple to set up.

I slid the only rocket I had into the barrel and closed the lid on the back then waited.

Arcee radioed back "Charlie team in position"

_"Rodger that, await on my command"_

We waited for Bravo team to show up. I shuffled the launcher to a slightly more comfortable position on my shoulder.

I looked at my target, two massive steel doors ten meters high that would prevent most forms of attack. Each one hinged to a concrete tower with a sentry post on each one. Both towers had a guard and spotlights aimed at the entrance road.

"How many hostile can you see, Arcee?"

She squinted slightly as her eyes darted around the place.

"Not many. Only two guards on the towers and a few more in the compound. However my scans can't penetrate the thick concrete of the main buildings"

I kept my eye on the target without falter. However in the corner of my field of vision I could see Arcee staring intently at me.

"What is it?" I asked without turning my head.

"It's just seeing that mask and not seeing your face is…"

"Disconcerting?"

"Sort of"

"That's sort of the point, it unnerves the enemy. Make us look like emotionless killing machines"

She nodded slightly and looked back at the base.

"Let's not lose focus here" I reminded her.

We waited for even longer, again I shuffled the launcher slightly.

"Charlie One, Bravo team is in position" Said Alpha One.

"Copy that, engaging on target now"

I stood up and steadied my aim at the bottom of the left side tower. I put my hand on the top of the launcher and pressed down on the trigger.

The rocket ignited and whooshed out of the barrel, the recoil pushed me back a fair way. I watched that rocket fly towards it target at a speed of near to three hundred miles per hour. Those few seconds took forever. But it finely came to an end and it struck the base of the tower with a massive force. Chucks of concrete were blasted away and dust billowed out. The tower collapsed, bringing the guardsmen and the steel door down with it.

All hell broke loose. Warning klaxons straight out from sixties movies wailed across the valley and a hive of activity could be seen. I dropped the launcher and laid flat on the floor and I got my rifle into my hands and aimed. Bravo team came out of there hiding places in the trees near to the road and charged at the entrance. The remaining guard opened fire on them. I aimed at him and fire a quick short burst in his direction. One of rounds hit and the guard collapsed in the sentry post.

I could see over the perimeter so I laid down suppression fire into the base in an attempt to scatter the enemies. In a matter of seconds Bravo team were spilling into the base and laying waste to everything that moved. I got up and hurriedly gathered the rocket launcher and the back pack. Arcee got up and I sprinted down the hill side in a b-line for the base entrance. Arcee followed behind me.

I scaled the rubble and got into the base. The main yard had been dealt with. I ran to the main building which was two stories high which held the vault. A hostile came in my direction readying his M4 rifle. I shot him in the head and it exploded. I got to the door which was surrounded by a five man team of my side waiting for me.

"Arcee, wait here!" I ordered. She stood guard watching our entry.

The door was strong and wouldn't budge. But that wasn't a problem. One of the guys pulled out his shotgun for this purpose. He fired a shell into each hinge and the locking bolt then kick the door in. The whole thing took three seconds from start to finish. Three seconds and we were in. We stormed the corridor and the point man kicked in the first door on the left and threw in a flash bang, waited a moment for it to go off, swept around the doorway and sprayed the room with bullets. We did this to every room.

The building was filled with the sound of gun fire and explosions every few seconds. The air was filled with dust, another reason for the gas masks.

We cleared the ground floor and went down to the basement level towards the vault. It had been easy so far, the enemy weren't well trained and their counter offensive was incoherent. We cleared the basement levels when it came to the normal rooms ranging from command operation rooms to supply rooms. We came across almost no resistance as we got to the vault.

The first look at the door and we knew we weren't going to open it.

"Alpha One, we won't be able to bring the door down, suggestions?"

_"According to the plans a board mounted charge should punch through ten meters to the left of the door"_

"Copy that"

I took my backpack off and got out the board mounted explosives charge. It is a very simple device and hasn't changed in a long time. It was famously used by the SAS during the Iranian embassy siege in London seen by the whole world in the early eighties. I stuck the board to the wall and moved back by two meters. I had the detonation cord in my hand. I faced my back to it and detonated the bomb.

BOOM!

The shockwave slammed into my back, however the shape of the board focuses the blast towards the wall so the shockwave wasn't too severer to cause me harm.

The corridor was filled with dust and debris. As soon as the dust settled we saw the wall had a nice big hole in it which we could easily walk through.

_"Alpha one here. Some sort of alarm has gone off, we don't what it mean so you better shift it"_

We rushed into the vault and finding the laptop wasn't hard. It was placed on a table under the light of a single bulb like it was an ancient relic that should not be disturbed.

It may not be an ancient relic, but it was British government property that was stolen, so we were taking it. I hastily shoved it into my backpack.

"Charlie One here, I have the package"

_"Alright, now get moving"_

"Will do"

We were making our way out of the vault when the structure of the building shuddered violently. We all hit the floor.

"Alpha one, what the hell is going on?"

_"Shit. It's the Decepticons. They came through one of their own… thing. You need to get out of there now!"_

My mind went into meltdown. I was under the assumption that the Con's didn't know where it was. But no time for thinking, I was the one with the laptop which was almost certain what the Con's wanted, so I had to get clear.

We quickly made our way back to the entrance we used to get in, only to find the rubble from the shock blocked the way out.

We made our way to another exit we knew existed. But when we got there, we saw a Decepticon trooper's face blocking the door. We all opened fire and bullets just bounced off its metal skin. We retreated back before it decided to return fire.

"Shit what the hell do we do now?" One guy asked.

"We leap out of different windows on the first floor and split. They don't know who has the laptop so it's our best bet. When you're clear you get yourself to the RV. Understood?"

There were nods from all of them.

"Let's move"

We made our way up the stairs and onto the corridor. We snaked our way round obstacles in the way until all of us were by a door each.

"Blow the door, flash bang, shoot the window while running and jump. On my command… NOW!"

I swung around and kicked the thin wood door of its hinges and chucked the flash bang in one sweeping motion. I hid back in the corridor and the flash bang went off. I ran back into the room looking at the window and saw what was outside. Arachnid quickly turning her head to see what was going on. I couldn't back down, I raised my SA80 and fired at the windows shattering them and shooting at Arachnid's face.

I pumped my legs hard and leap at the still falling glass. I tucked my legs in and brought the rifle to my chest, forming a ball. I smashed through the glass and collided straight into her face. Considering my body being roughly over two hundred and fifty pounds and the speed I was going at, there was a good amount of momentum. Enough momentum to knock Arachnid off her feet.

From the moment the flash bang went off to me colliding into her face, she barely had time to realize what was going on. Her body slammed to the floor and I rolled away off her face with the continuing momentum. I quickly got up and made a run for it, but not quick enough. One of her spider legs clamped down on my right ankle.

I shifted as best I could onto my back considering my backpack and opened fire. She fired her webbing at me, this forced my rifle up past my head, bringing my left arm over my neck, half choking myself.

I thrashed around to free myself, but to no avail.

"How dare you" She snarled. She leaned in closer to try and work out who I was.

"You'll pay for that" She brought out her very sharp ended finger, ready to cut my throat.

"NOOO!" I heard Elita roar from behind. I saw a big pink blur smash into Arachnid out of the way followed by a smaller blue blur. I heard the sound of Cybertronians fighting. But then I heard the sound of a full blown battle. The distinctive sound of metal giants laying into one another.

Then it got worse, as I still pinned to the floor and choking myself, I felt a large shadow loom over me, Megatron. My eyes shot wide open, but he would have seen it through the mask. Now I really tried to escape. His hand lowered down to grab me. But if Megatron was on the battle field you can count that Optimus would. He came in time to save me by tackling the Decepticon war lord away from me.

I moved my head frantically to see what the hell was going on.

Bulkhead was trading throws with Breakdown, Bumblebee was boxing Knockout. Elita and Arcee were successfully taking on Arachnid leaving Optimus to face Megatron. But all the while I was still fighting to bloody breathe. I told the others to make a break for it, so I knew they won't be coming back. I had to wait. But long enough, Starscream turned up with his weapon charging up, chuckling as he enjoyed seeing me completely helpless on the floor.

"Oh god" Was all I could say.

Before he could fire, he was fire upon. Elita and Arcee dispatched him just in time. As Elita chased off the troopers that were gathering, Arcee knelt down next to me.

"You ok?" She asked.

"NO I'M NOT FUCKING OK! GET THIS FUCKING SHIT OFF ME!" I snapped back. I mean what a stupid question to ask.

She ripped off the webbing and I got my breath back. She helped me back to my feet by pulling at the backpack.

"GUYS LET'S GO!" She commanded to the other Autobots.

Elita ran over and transformed opening her boot, I quickly shrugged the bag off and chucked it in. I quickly got in the driver's seat and she floored it out of the base. The other Autobots transformed and made an escape.

Elita drove straight for a undamaged part of the metal doors. I raised my hands in front of me in a very comical like way while screaming at her not to do it.

She punched through the door, tearing it off its hinges. The other Bot's followed while in pursuit of the Decepticons running close behind.

"Let's get to the RV, the guys are making their way there" I told her.

We were storming down the road when I saw Mack lying face down in the dirt. Elita did a hand brake stop and I got out.

"MACK! MACK YOU'LL ALRIGHT?" I shouted while running for him. I turned him around, he was alive but barely.

I bent down and grabbed a shoulder then levered myself back while grabbing his waist and shifting him onto the back of shoulders.

We had literally a hundred or so meters to go. I could run with him on my back quicker than it would be to set him inside one of the Bot's. The Autobots transformed and gave me cover and I pumped my legs hard with Mack on my back.

It was almost a herculean effort to run at that speed, but I had the strength, stamina and the sheer will power to do it. It was with strength and guild as the motto said.

We made it to the RV in very short time. The rest of the team were at the Land Rovers keeping point in all directions. It was obvious that they were scared because of the way they kept shifting every second. They now faced an enemy they could hope to defeat and they knew it.

"Ratchet, send a bridge immediately" Optimus ordered.

The portal opened up and the SBS team bolted for it, the Land Rovers kicking up dirt making their way through the portal.

We all saw Megatron making a run for us. Bulkhead took Mack off my Back and ran for it with the rest of us close behind.

The portal was twenty meters away. I made a sprint as Arcee, Bumblebee, Elita and Optimus went through the ground bridge.

Ten meters to go and I heard Megatron roar. Never in my life has a sound scared me so much. I hit the event horizon just in time before Megatron did.

In my head I was saying to myself, we did it and relief hit me.


	24. Chapter 24

We all burst through the ground bridge in the nick of time. I was the last to come through just before Megatron got to the portal. I slowed from my frantic sprint to walking along the powering down device. I looked at the scene around me. The children were glad to see their guardians were alright while Optimus was addressing Fowler. However the SBS team were rushing to the medical bay as Bulkhead brought Mack to a hospital bed with June and Ratchet getting straight to work. That too was my first stop.

I ran over to where Mack laid and he seemed alright when I picked him off the floor only this time I saw why he was there, he'd been shot in the back with extensive burns, mostly likely shot by a Con. Quickly everyone had gathered around.

"How is he?" I asked.

"Hard to say" Ratchet replied "He may be unconscious but I don't think his injuries are life threating. Although I will require some space to work"

With that Captain Wallace started to back people up "You heard the Doctor, give him some room" He turned around to face Ratchet "Do all you can, I don't want to tell his wife that he died in action and leaving her and his two year son behind"

"I'll do all I can"

Captain simply nodded.

"Sarge? What do you want to do about the laptop?"

"Your decision" He walked off.

I stood there. What to do? Do I return it straight away? Destroy it? But one thing I did wonder about was just how bad was the damage? Just how much did the Decepticons get?

"Raff?"

"Yes Michael?" He called back while talking with Bee.

"You're pretty hot with tech yeah?"

"Yeah" He blushed while loosening his collar.

"Could you see what has been accessed in the laptop?"

"Sure"

"Brill" I brought my bag up to the desks next to the main computer as Raff came running along with Bee close behind. I dumped my bag on the desk and got the laptop out and handed it to him.

"Merry Christmas"

He chuckled as he accepted the laptop.

"Hmm, that's odd"

"What's odd?"

"It seems heavier than it should be"

My eyes shot wide open. I knew straight away what that meant, something had been added to it. I calmly and slowly said "Raff, you need to put that down very, very carefully"

Raff didn't question why and did so with the upmost care.

"Stand back" I instructed him.

I picked up a pen and slid the nib along the crack between the two parts. The sides were clear. The back was clear. I slid it along the front, then I felt it. Something blocked the nib. I carefully raised the lid to see a thin wire hook around the latch. With the nib I unhooked the wire then opened the laptop fully.

"That was lucky"

"What is it?" Raff asked.

"A bomb. Not a big one, just enough to destroy the hard drive. But still a bomb is still a bomb"

I took out the battery and wrapped around it was a small amount of plastic explosives.

"SARGE!" I called out.

"YES!" He called back.

"GOT SOME EXPLOSIVES HERE, CARE TO DISPOSE OF IT?"

"WHAT?" He came rushing up the ladder and the Autobots came rushing over at the sound of the words explosives.

"Found some PE in the laptop" I raised the battery for them to see.

"Not much" Wallace said.

"Just to take out the hard drive"

"Well, then if they did that then they probably didn't bother cleaning up after themselves on the hard drive then"

"My thoughts exactly"

Wallace took the battery off me and carefully peeled the plastics off then handed back the battery to me.

"Well we better be moving. We'll come back in a few days for Mack and if you want I can bring along some toys for you" We both smiled.

"I want a 50 Cal and a 40mm grenade launcher machine gun"

"Under normal circumstances I'd asked if you were planning a one man full scale assault. But I'll let it slip"

He faced Optimus "I want to thank your team for getting my lads out of there. We owe our lives to you"

"Were glad to be of service" Optimus replied.

Wallace looked back "Until next time Michael" He saluted and I did back.

"RIGHT LADS, LOAD UP!"

Within minutes the Land Rovers were driving through the ground bridge back to the Scottish naval base.

Raff got to work on the laptop and sifted through the files and did all sorts of stuff which was beyond my knowledge. I couldn't help wonder how the hell Raff was so gifted at computers. He broke through the initial British encryption with ease.

"Well?"

"I can't see much. Whatever they did, they didn't open much. Only the files that mention you and that's about it"

"Were any other file opened?"

"No, not that I can tell"

"Good, that means that the damage is less than I thought. Raff can you put in new, better encryption?"

"Sure, you sending it back?"

"Haven't decided"

"Well, I'll get on with it then" He looked back at the screen and typed away.

I walked away and went to speak to Optimus for some advice.

"Optimus?"

"Yes Michael"

"What do you think I should do with the laptop. I mean it has almost everything about you, and it was obtained by deception. Plus the Con's could retrieve it all over again. Do I hand it back the British government or not?"

"I think you should do what you think is right. You have demonstrated that you can make these difficult choices and I believe you will more than capable to do so on this occasion"

"Ok" It didn't answer my question but it steer me in a certain direction which I had been thinking about, destroying the laptop.

I went to the make shift kitchen I had made myself a few months ago. I put the kettle on and got a jar of instant coffee from the cupboard. As I waited for the kettle to boil, Elita came over.

"Coffee eh?"

"Yeah, the night has still got to go. I want to wrap up this sorry affair tonight"

"What are you planning?"

"Haven't decided"

"Well don't take any risks, ok?"

"Hey" I put my hands up "Would I ever do something like that. Say where is Borken being held?"

"One of the holding cells in that corridor" She point the corridor behind the shaft of the lift.

"Right"

"Why?" She asked suspiciously.

"He could do with a glass of water I suppose"

"He has got water and is being fed. He's fine" She said knowing something was up.

"Look, I just want to speak to him" I assured her.

"Fine" She moved off to speak with Optimus.

I went back to my room to get changed out of my tactical gear. I changed into jeans, a brown shirt with a brown leather jacket and black Chelsea boots.

I came back to the kitchen area to add some milk to my coffee. I picked up the mug and blew on it to cool it down as I walked over to Raff.

"How's it going?"

"Just finishing… done" He finished typing up and shut it down then handed it over to me.

"Thanks" I took the laptop and when down the stairs and down towards the corridor, towards the holding cell.

As I approached the door a scan ran over my entire body, starting from the top of my cranium sweeping down until it reached my toes. On a screen the mugshot of myself was displayed telling me I had access to the cell. I press the screen and tap the open button and the door opened. The whole door was massive as the holding cells as they were intended for any Decepticon that the Autobots captured. The door opened enough to allow me in and it closed behind me. The cell was dimly lit but huge in size. In the far left corner was a berth for the intended Decepticon prisoner and sat on the edge was Borken looking very depressed.

"We've retrieved the laptop. Got it right here" I raised it for him to see.

He raised his head to see and looked surprised.

"How?"

"Help from the SBS"

"Oh" He clearly wasn't going to make any come backs. He knew it was now truly over for him.

"So, what are we going to do about it? I could hand it back, but both you and I know that someone else will come after it. I'm right aren't I?"

He nodded "Yeah"

"So there are more like you?"

"Yeah, lots of us"

"Everything that has happened so far I can understand, except for one thing. Why?"

"After being dropped from being liaison I was mad. I discovered them so why shouldn't I get to work with them?"

"You wanted attention"

"I started out as a regular street cop in New York. I wanted to be recognized for who I was. I slowly progressed and then I got the big break at the NSA. But where did it get me? Nowhere. I was still an invisible person and my talents were wasted. I worked hard and I had nothing to show for it. You know I think the world owes me a favour"

"Oh shut up" I snapped back "The world owes you nothing, it was here first. You're just a jealous and greedy person who wants more and more. So tell me, why rat out the Autobots?"

"I saw the situation they were in. They're outmanned, outgunned and it doesn't look promising for them. Then where does that leave humanity? At the mercy of the Decepticons. So I thought if I were to assist the Con's then maybe they would look kindly on me. When I proposed a deal with them, they said I would be spared for what they have in store for humanity"

"So you'd rather save your own skin than do your own bit to protect humanity? You make me sick. How do you contact your masters?"

"By transmitting short bursts on a certain frequency"

A plan formed in my head. A very simple but decisive plan to not only destroy the laptop but to also but an end to Megatron using humans for his own sinister plans.

"I'll be back soon" I left the cell and towards the main control room.

I went back to Raff to retrieve my mug of coffee. I picked it up and had a sip. It was alright, nothing spectacular.

"Raff, do you know where I might get a frequency modulator?"

"Why?"

"Where?" I asked which simply said to Raff: none of your business.

"There's one in that draw over there" He pointed to a desk draw to the left of him. I opened it up and there it was. It looked like one of those old radios, but then again that was what it sort of was. I found a transmitter unit with it and an antenna. I place them on the desk. I piled them all together along with the laptop and went to finish the mug off coffee. I picked up the pile and took them to the Jag. I managed to open one of the rear doors and dumped the pile in the back.

Raff was wondering what I was doing as so ask the inevitable question "Michael, what are you doing?"

I looked back up to the platform he was on "Not saying. If you detect a signal, tell the Bot's to ignore it, or try to stall them"

"Why?"

"I'm ending all this nonsense from the past few months. And no one will stop me"

He saw the seriousness on my face and nodded in understanding. I closed the door and went back to the cell.

I entered the cell and Borken was still sitting on the berth looking sorry for himself. I pulled my Glock 17 out and aimed at him "I think it's time to reunite you with your masters. Move it" I swung the gun towards the door.

He got off the berth and quickly moved over to the door. As I got near the door opened. I checked outside first to see if anyone was around that might try to disrupt me. It was clear. I came out and so did he. I had him in front as I pressed my gun into the small of his back.

"Any attempt to run or anything else…" I didn't need to finish the sentence. I pushed him slightly with the barrel of the gun and he started walking towards to main control room, towards the Jag.

While covering him with the gun in one hand, I popped the boot with the other "Get in" I ordered.

"What, in the trunk?" he said surprised.

"Get in" I ordered again while lowering my tone slightly.

He slid into the boot and got into a fetal position so he could fit. When he was in I closed the boot just in time before Optimus saw.

"Michael, are you planning on going somewhere?" He asked.

"Christmas shopping" Was my reply.

I went up to the main computers were and spoke again to Raff quietly so Optimus wouldn't hear "I'll be out for short while, I don't want any tail. Understand?"

"Err, sure" I walked back to the Jag "Michael" I turned around "Be careful"

"Don't worry Raff, remember I'm in the merchant navy, and I can do anything"

I got in the Jag. Put the electric key in the slot. Pressed down on the red start button, pulsing like a heartbeat. The engine rumbled into life as the gear selector rose into the palm of my hand. I selected drive and drove through the tunnel and out of the base into the night.


	25. Chapter 25

**Authors Note**

Hello again. Just to warn you, if you don't like gore of any sort then perhaps you should skip this chapter as a method of disposing a dead body is discuss. I've been watching too many east end London gangster films recently and they have got to me.

Also did you watch the latest episode this weekend? I saw the scene in the container terminal and I was all "OMG their in a port" and then I kept listing all the errors with the place to myself. Also that had got to be the worlds quietest port theirs no activity, and whats with those weird grapper thing on those cranes? They aren't round in shape, there rectangular... see I'm at it already.

Anyway enjoy this chapter as ever and please review... actually why do I even bother asking? Nobody listens to me.

Now if you don't mind, I'm going a corner to sulk while going through my dry cargo course notes. Now leave me alone already, or I'll punch you in the face.

* * *

><p>I was driving the Jag along the empty desert roads. I could hear the muffled noises coming from Borken in the boot. So I put the radio on to drown out the sounds. I currently had album 'The fat of the land' by The Prodigy. I played the track Narayan as it just gave me the feeling of surrealism. I carried on driving towards Jasper and went straight through the town using the main road that cut the town in two parts. I came through the other side and went along another road climbing over a rise in the distance.<p>

I'd been on the road for about half an hour now and I'd made some distance from the Autobot base, far enough so that the Decepticons wouldn't be able to work out the location of the Autobot base. I turned off onto a dirt road leading into the desert. The car rocked and bounced over the uneven, rocky surface.

I'd cover over two miles of dirt road according to the sat nav. I decided that it would be far enough, well away from anybody. I stopped the car and got out. I walked to the boot and opened the door. Borken looked straight at me with utter fear in his eyes.

"Where are we?"

"The Arizona desert or more precisely a half an hour to the south of the town of Jasper. Now what is the frequency?"

"Eighty seven Megahertz at sequence of one second on and two seconds off. After a minute or so they arrive by a ground bridge"

"That's it?"

"That's it"

I slammed the boot lid back down and got back into the car. I reached into the back seat and got the frequency modulator, the transmitter unit and the antenna. I set it all up on the front passenger seat. I selected the correct frequency and started transmitting one second on and two seconds off. On, off, on, off, on, off.

I kept transmitting for up to a minute until a swirling wall of light appeared out of nowhere, the Decepticons had arrived. Out from the portal came, Arachnid, Soundwave, Knockout then finally the Decepticon war lord himself, Megatron.

Their ground bridge had opened up roughly two hundred yards in front, they were looking all around for Borken who they were expecting to find, but when they didn't see him straight away it was clear on their faces they knew something wasn't right. They couldn't see my car in the dark of night but I could see them as my night vision had become finely tuned to the dark.

But after a minute I decided to put an end to their confusion by switching on the headlights in main beam. All of them on instinct turned in my direction. I started the engine and drove towards them slowly. As I got closer and closer they were trying to see who it was as they were temporarily blinded by the headlights.

I parked the car in a slight turn to the right so that the driver's door was facing them. I switched off the engine and slowly opened the door. By the time my boot touched the floor they knew I wasn't Borken. But as I completely exited the car their faces, save for Soundwave who had no face were one of mild shock. They believed I was dead.

"Hello again" Was how I greeted them.

They were too stunned to say anything.

"Sorry, did you think you think you could get rid of me that easily? Oh please I feel insulted. I've gone through much worse than that"

They charged up they weapons but they didn't aim at me but rather out in the open.

"No the Autobots are not around. This is not an ambush, besides do you think Optimus would do that?"

Megatron finally spoke "So what is the meaning for this… meeting?"

"To return something to you"

"Oh really, and what would this something be?"

I went to the rear of the car and opened the boot. I reached for Borken and hauled him out. I held him by the back of his collar and I shoved him with some force to the floor in front of Megatron.

"That something" I replied.

Borken got onto his knees and looked up to Megatron face.

"My lord, I'm sorry but I've failed you" He looked down at the floor. I just shook my head in pity.

"I've also got something else as well, although it's not yours" I opened the rear door and pulled out the laptop.

"This is what Borken tried to get for you. It's the laptop which contains all the intelligence that the British government has on the Autobots. But when he gave you information on my whereabouts there was one thing he didn't take into account… me"

"Clearly" Megatron said while looking down on the pitiful Borken lying at his feet.

"However Megatron, you will not be having this laptop" I dropped the laptop and stamped on it multiple times. Then for good measure I pulled my gun out and shot it a few times, aiming for the hard drive disk. After the work I did on it, no amount of advanced technology could repair it.

"Now what to do with this low life" I said looking at Borken, the gun still in my hand. Borken paid particular attention to it and knew what would happen.

"No please. Don't Michael, don't do it. You wouldn't kill a person who is defenceless"

"Maybe you should ask that to the third Officer and the third engineer on the ship I was working on. They were defenceless as well before they got a bullet in the back of their heads. Or maybe you should ask that the Jason Hadfield. I shot him in the back of the head as well. Besides you're not defenceless. I want to see you beg for your masters to help you. They promised you'd be spared? Well let's see what's what"

Straight away he turned back to face Megatron on his knees, shuffling towards him "Master, please. I did everything I could, but he was just too good. Please, I did what you asked for please, save me" He pleaded. He shuffled even more till he was hugging his masters' foot, hoping it would bring him sympathy from Megatron.

But I knew what Megatron's reaction would be, he simply shook Borken off his foot. He glared down at Borken, angered that a human had dared touch him.

"You failed at a simple task. You had the information all this time and yet you kept it from us. Now it is destroyed there is no reason for me to do anything for you. You let this human defeat you and I do not accept failures. You will deserve everything coming at you"

"Master please. I haven't had the experience that he has, plus I'm not as strong as him. Please master, give me one more chance. I beg of you!"

Megatron frowned "If he is stronger than you then that means you are weak. I one thing I despise most of all is the weak"

"Master please"

"Shame" I started "You had a prominent career and you threw it all away on a hollow promise. They were never going to hold up there end of the deal. It's amazing to think that you were once a beat cop of the NYPD, a job which requires a good judge a character. Surely you would have known they were not to be trusted?"

"I like you're thinking Michael, you certainly are a switched on person. I see why Optimus likes to keep you around as another one of his pets"

"That's Mr Rickers to you Megatron, only my friends call me Michael and I am no pet"

He snickered

"Laugh all you want Megatron, but you won't be for long"

That stopped him "And what are you going to do, tiny human?"

"For a start, deal with him" I pointed at Borken. I raised my gun and aimed squarely at his head and fired.

BANG!

His head exploded out from the back and all the insides splattered on the ground.

"Whoa" I heard Knockout say. Arachnid and Starscream were stunned. Soundwave was impossible to read. However Megatron grinned with an evil glint in his eye.

"Now, that is what I intend to do. I will hunt down every human you have working for you and I will do the same to them. Then I will hunt you down, one by one and I will show no mercy like Optimus does. So watch your backs and stay out of the shadows. Because I'll be there, lurking, waiting to pounce"

"You don't scare us one bit human, we will kill you first"

"You tried that already, but here I am alive and kicking"

He growled under his breath.

"Now you'll need to get rid of that body won't you? Well I've heard the best option is to chop up the body into six parts then feed them to pigs"

"Oh really" Megatron said.

"Oh yes. It helps to starve the pigs for a few days, then sight of a chopped up body will look like a kebab to a steaming drunk. You'll need to shave the head and remove the teeth for the sake of the pig's digestion, but you could do that after, but you don't want to do that. They will go through bone like butter, you'll need at least sixteen pigs to complete the job in one go so finding a pig farm would be your best bet. They will go through a body that weighs two hundred pounds in roughly ten minutes. Which in turn means one pig will consume about two pounds of uncooked flesh every minute, hence the expression 'as greedy as a pig'" I grinned at them, now I have Knockout an Arachnid worried. Worried about what else I might know. Maybe how do deal with a dead cybertronian.

"Well, thank you for that information. I'm sure it will be of use" Megatron said with sarcasm.

"One more thing, your warship. It's called the Nemesis, right?"

"Yes"

"But do you know what nemesis means?"

Megatron didn't reply.

"It means a righteous infliction of retribution, manifested by an appropriate agent. Personified in this case by a horrible bastard… me"

"You must think you are clever with your words. But no words will shake me, tiny human"

I walked by to the car and opened the door.

"I will stop you Megatron, consider your plans of using humans over"

"Your dare run off when I haven't let you go?"

"I set up this meeting and now this meeting is at an end"

"You'll suffer greatly for this Mr Rickers, mark my words, you'll suffer"

I pretend to yawn "Save it for someone who cares" I got in and started the engine. I gave a bit of wheel spin to throw up some dust and I was quickly getting out of there. In the rear view mirror I could see that Knockout was preparing to chase but was stopped by Megatron. They were going to let me go. I felt lucky. Then I saw them all head back through the newly opened ground bridge. I smiled I took on Megatron and won. I concentrated on getting back onto the road.

I was on the road again, heading back to Jasper when I saw a group of headlights going the other way. I was slightly weary as it should have been empty. Then the glow of the lights intensity grew stronger, and I saw a group of vehicles forming a road block. My first thoughts were Decepticons but I noticed first a large red semi-tractor unit. Along with a green 4X4, a black and yellow muscle car, a blue sports bike and a pink sports car.

I came to slow and stopped. I got out while leaving the engine running. The Autobots transformed forming a line across the road.

"Where is Agent Borken?" Optimus asked.

I shrugged "No idea, why?"

"Because he is no longer in his cell and you are the only one who has left base since his disappearance. Now, where is he?"

"Gone"

"Gone where?"

"To a better place"

Optimus knew I was using a well-known human expression after a few moments of research behind the expression his eyes narrowed "You're going back to base straight away"

"Am I? So what about the whole freedom of all sentient beings thing?"

"Do not argue with me Michael. Ratchet, send a bridge"

The ground bridge opened up behind me. I was trapped between the portal and the line of Autobots. I was going back to base whether I liked it or not. I breathed a heavy sigh and got back in the Jag and drove through the swirling wall of light.


	26. Chapter 26

I drove back through the ground bridge with the Autobots following behind. I parked the Jag and got out, slamming the door with a huff. I glared at Raff on the platform above, as I knew straight away he had squealed on me. He saw my glare and hid behind June for protection. June gave a glare in return for frightening the small child, which I instantly regretted. I hung my head in shame, it wasn't his fault. He was brought up to not tell lies and certainly not to the Autobots.

The Autobots came in and transformed. I was preparing myself for a lecture from Optimus. However Elita came running towards me and scooped me up and crushed me in a desperate hug.

"Don't ever do that to me, ever again" She said sounding like she was scared.

"Let me go, you're hurting me" I yelled. Her hug was causing too much pressure on my torso.

"Sorry" She instantly put me back on my feet. "Why did you face Megatron alone like that? What were you thinking?"

"Wait, what? You were watching me that whole time?"

"Yes Michael" Optimus stated, both Elita and I looked up to him. "We witnessed what had transpired and I believe we need a discussion in private, don't you think?"

From the way he was asking, I knew I had no choice in the matter "Fine" I huffed.

Optimus began to walk down the corridor that led to the Autobots quarters, Arcee was about to follow when Optimus turned to face her "Arcee, I would appreciate if you were absent. There are things I wish to discuss with Michael, alone"

"Yes Optimus" She replied.

I followed the Prime down the corridor, into the depths of the base. We walked through one corridor, and then made a turn to another, while all the time I was trying to keep up with the metallic titan. But soon enough we had reached a large door way with a hefty sized door which opened automatically when Optimus approached. The room inside was his quarters. The room itself was on a grand scale by human standards, however to the Prime it was adequate so he wouldn't feel cramped. The room itself wasn't particularly exciting to look at, if anything it looked as boring as most rooms in the base. The ceiling was made of rock with a series of light tubes hanging from above and the walls were made of concrete. There was a large metal slab which was Optimus' berth and there was a desk and chair. On the desk was a computer much like that of the main computer in the main control room.

Optimus sat in his chair and offered a hand for me to stand on. I didn't hesitate and stepped into the centre of the palm of his hand. He raised me up to the level of the desk and I jump off his hand. He opened up one of his desk draws and carefully lifted out a human sized office chair. He placed it in front of me "Please, take a seat"

I sat down slowly, this was going to be a talk I wasn't going to forget soon.

"Michael, we saw and heard everything that was said in your meeting with Megatron and I am very disappointed with you. We Autobots to not take a life, unless it is absolutely necessary. You killed that man with no remorse. Explain yourself"

I felt angry, so angry I got up from the chair, glaring and pointing at him "Explain myself? What I did was to quash a future problem from getting out of hand. I take your security very seriously, however I do have other priorities as well"

"Other priorities?"

"Yeah, where I was acting on your behalf, by stopping to Con's potentially locating this base, but I was also acting on behalf on the British sovereignty. At the end of the day, Borken and acted against my country and threatened its national security. It was my duty to eliminate this threat. Remember, intelligence on you wasn't the only thing on that laptop, many lives were at immediate risk, so I acted accordingly"

"Michael, please do not bring this attitude towards me. You may condone the killing, however I do not"

"So, I don't take orders from you"

"What you did tonight is not the Autobot way-

"-BUT I'M NOT AN AUTOBOT!" I yelled at him. He was stunned by my outburst. "Whether you like it or not Optimus, I play by my own rules. And so far those rules have kept me alive. Where you would have given Borken another chance, this would have only proven to Megatron that he could use more humans for his own plans. But because of what I did, it might just make Megatron think otherwise, because if he believes that the humans he uses will be stopped by me, then he might just pack it all in as a waste of time. It's called nipping it by the bud. Stop a problem before it gets out of control. So instead of berating me Optimus, maybe you should be thanking me"

"I understand your reasoning, however I just cannot allow you to go around killing people"

"Oh get real" Optimus face changed ever so slightly to that of anger, maybe that wasn't the best choice of words. "Look, you are going to have to change your ways if you wish to defeat Megatron"

Optimus didn't reply to that remark. I sat back down in the chair as I explained "Ok, I'll spell it out to you. Now, you can either stick to your principles or you can win this war quickly, but you can't do both. You are heavily outmanned, outgunned and finding energon is getting harder. You are going to have to drastically change your tactics because sooner or later, Megatron will run you ragged to the ground and you will fall, and so will planet earth. It's a bitter pill to swallow but you can't afford to be so hesitant to use extreme measures from now on"

Optimus listened very carefully to what I had to say and mulled over it.

"As much as it pains me to say this, but I believe you may be right. Perhaps my approach to this perpetual conflict has only served to continue it, as it consumes more lives, but I will need to take your opinion into careful consideration. However for the moment, as much as you were acting to defend us, it would be best if you at least informed us as to what you are planning. Had Megatron decided to attack you and Raphael did not inform us, then it would stand to reason that you would not have survived and the Decepticons would now currently have everything on that laptop"

"I know. Perhaps I should have told you, but you probably wouldn't have agreed to it. But I was doing what I thought was right, what was necessary"

"And for that, I thank you. But please next time, please run it through me. I would have never forgiven myself if you were killed tonight, however we should just be glad that you are safe"

When he finished speaking I took that as my cue to leave.

"Before to go, there is one more thing to discuss. For this we will need Elita in here"

There was a knock on the door "Yes, enter" Optimus replied. The door hissed open and Elita entered the room.

"How did you-"

"-Internal com link" Elita answered my unfinished question.

Elita came to stand next to where Optimus was sitting, giving the impression they were the same height.

"What is it you wish to discuss?" I asked Optimus.

"We overheard what you said to Megatron. The part where you told him the definition of the word nemesis. Because of your choice of words I now fear that you are at grave risk. So for now, there is the issue of your safety for the coming months. I take it you will be returning to the maritime academy?"

"Are you kidding? I'm bind into a legal contract with my company, if I back out now then I have to fork out ten grand, and right now I don't have that type of money and I wouldn't be able to get a loan or anything in these economic hard times. So yeah"

"What are your plans for accommodation? We won't be able to bridge you there and back every day, we just don't have the energon to do so"

"Well, there is the house in Warsash I was living in last year. It's still vacant, and I got an email a week ago saying some phase one cadet was moving in as well"

"This house that would be the house you brought Jack and I to when we collected your motorbike?"

"That's the one"

"Well, I will assign Elita, as she is your guardian, to regularly visit to check up on you, as again we can't afford to use the ground bridge too frequently. If the Decepticons do arrive, I am confident that you can handle the situation until we arrive. If you and Elita are ok about this?"

"I haven't got a problem. Besides if you Elita were to stay as much as the other Bot's do with the children I don't think I could explain why I have a pink sports car in the garage. Could you?"

"I haven't got a problem" Elita said.

"Then it's agreed then" Optimus stood up and so did I and then yawned quite loudly.

"I think you need to get some rest, you've done a lot tonight" Elita said.

"Can't argue their"

Elita offered a hand for me to stand on "Come on, on you get" I got onto her hand and stood in the middle of her palm using her thumb to steady myself, and she proceeded out of the room.

She carried me along the corridor back towards the maim control room.

"Where did you find out about using pigs?"

"In the quiet words of the virgin Mary, come again?"

"When you confronted Megatron, you said to him to use pigs to dispose of Borken's body. Where did you hear about that?"

"Have you seen the film, Snatch?"

"No"

"Watch it, and you'll find out"

"You used a line from a movie?"

"Pretty much. I'm so badass, I don't have to even try. I even when I'm not trying to be badass, I can still be seen as one, if that makes sense?"

"I think I understand. But, not bad by the way. I just loved that look on the faces of Knockout and Arachnid. I think you actually scared them a bit"

"I think so too"

She came to the door of my room and pushed open the large Autobot sized door to allow her access. She set me back down on the floor.

I started to get changed. I didn't care if she was still in the room, I had nothing to hide.

"So, what's your opinion? Do you think I was right to do what I did?" I asked as I removed my shirt.

"I don't believe killing Borken was necessary, however I do understand why you did it" She replied while I removed my boots and socks.

"Yeah, I'm not so sure about shooting him as well" I was removing my jeans at this point "But I needed to show Megatron that I was serious"

From this point on Elita knew to turn her head to give some privacy "Maybe so, but then going on to say you would hunt him down. That wasn't your smartest idea. You realize he will act upon it"

"Yeah. In hindsight it probably was a stupid thing to say, but I had my reasons"

"Look, when it comes to those like MECH, then I would be fully agreeing with you. But this is the Con's we're talking about. You need to very careful about them. You know as well as I do, they aren't easily defeated. So next time think before you speak"

"Hey, I'm not Miko. Beside I did think it through, just not enough. Look, if I said I'm sorry, would you drop it?"

"You don't need to apologize to me"

"You can turn around now" I was in my nightwear and getting into the bed.

"There's another point as well that I want you to stay away from the Con's. You've got the academy coming up soon and you need to be focused on your studies. I don't want to see you fail. Let us handle the Con's while you concentrate on passing your exams"

"Ok, I can't argue their"

"And besides, you don't want to have to pay back ten thousand dollars, sorry I mean pounds"

"Damn right"

Elita forced me down flat on the bed by pushing on my shoulders with the tips of her fingers and pulling the blanket up.

"Hey, I'm not a child you know" I protested.

"Well, you are to me. Now, you've done more than enough for us tonight, so get some rest. You deserve it"

I rolled onto my side and closed my eyes. I felt Elita give a kiss on my head.

"Sweet dreams" She said softly, turning out the light as she left.

I fell into deep sleep very quickly. I had been awake for nearly over twenty four hours.


	27. Chapter 27

The next morning came way too fast. I was still in bed, and still trying to sleep, but there was a noise that denied me of the sleep I was desperate for. I heard the door open and quiet footsteps approach me. This time I knew it was a friendly, so I wasn't formulating plans of attack. I just let the person come to my bedside.

"Michael?" It was June, she shook me to properly wake me up.

I groaned as I sat up in the bed, wiping my eyes.

"Morning. What time is it?" I asked.

"Ten" June replied.

"Why did you wake me? I need more sleep"

"Err, well you have a visitor"

"Captain Wallace?" I perked up.

"Not quite. You need to get up and… well look respectable"

"Wait, what? Look respectable? What do you mean?"

June was leaving the room "Just be ready quickly" She opened the door, stepped out and closed the door behind her.

"What?" I asked myself. I quickly got out of bed and jumped straight for the ensuite and had a quick shower. Had a reasonably quick shave, minding not to cut myself, applied some aftershave even if it cause my face to sting, as I had no idea now respectable I need to be.

I got out of the ensuite and got dressed in my usual fashion of a brown shirt and jeans and with the black Chelsea boot of course. I left my room and went for the main control room.

The Autobots were present and I saw June fixing up a mug of coffee for a number of people. I climbed the stairs and approached her.

"So, why are you making six cups of coffee?"

"Well the kids stayed last night, I rang their parents saying they were staying over mine. They were too tired to travel home. And the other is for your visitor"

"Who?"

"Not allowed to say"

"No seriously. This better not be some stupid joke or something. I was hoping for some proper sleep last night"

"You're not the only one" Elita said as she approached, carrying a sleeping Raff in her arms, curled up in a thick blanket. "He was having nightmares last night and was frightened by them"

I didn't want to guess as to what his nightmares were about, but I hoped they weren't about me being angry at him last night.

"I'm sorry to hear about Raff, but will someone tell me who this person is?" I asked loudly.

"Well is that a clue?" June said while pointing towards where the cars are parked. What I saw shocked me. Sitting next to my black Jaguar XFR was a black Jaguar XJ series III from 1982. I only knew one person who drove one of those.

"Where is he?" I asked June.

"In the medical bay"

I quickly made my way towards the medical bay and standing at Mack's bedside was Rear Admiral Colin Banes. He was in his late fifties and it showed, he wasn't trim but not fat either but considering his age he was doing ok. He was dressed in a grey wool overcoat and waistcoat and grey trousers nearly matching the colour of his silver hair. He always had slight anger of annoyance on his face, he is a man you don't mess with.

He looked back at me, silently telling me to approach as he came to the foot end of the bed, I too did the same. He stood staring at each other for some time. We never did see eye to eye.

I decided to break the silence "If you've come to ask him questions, I'll think you'll find-"

He landed a quick short, fast powerful punch to the face. I staggered back a number of steps temporary stunned.

"Oh that feels good" He said, sounding pleased with himself but in a well-spoken voice as always.

I came out of my daze then quickly hit him twice in the face with two quick jabs. But before I could land a harder throw he kicked me hard in the testacies. It winded me and I keeled over in pain no man should ever have to go through.

"What in the all-spark is going on here!" Ratchet asked, hearing the commotion.

"FOUR MONTHS! Four months Michael" Baines shouted down at me "That's how long it's been since I was told you were killed in that explosion. Why didn't tell me you were still alive?"

"I'm sorry-" I gasped.

"SORRY? Sorry you didn't want to do anything with me? I only found out you were still alive when you boarded that car carrier. I was furious when I found out. Were you ever going to tell me? You know what, I don't want to hear it. I rather not hear you say, yes"

I was still struggling to overcome the pain from my groin as Elita helped me to my feet while still holding Raff who was currently waking up to the shouting.

"I was going to say, once I was back at Warsash" I struggled to say.

"I don't lie to me. You would be glad to see the back of me"

"Why are you here? And more importantly how?"

"As you know, I have contacts. In this case it was Captain Wallace. He told me everything and I was straight on the phone with the Pentagon. I got in touch with the Autobots through Special Agent Fowler, and here I am" He had a briefcase at the end of the bed. He opened it up and pulled out my merchant navy training board, training record book.

"You left your TRB on board ship. You need to take better care of it. That's your career there, don't lose it"

"Oh right, well next time I'm held in the grip of the greatest evil this planet has ever seen, I'll say don't throw me over board to the freezing waters just yet, I've got to get my TRB" Elita winced at that.

"Yeah, well I dispatched HMS Westminster to intercept CSV Nevada Highway as soon it came into UK waters. The captain arrested the crew and brought them back to Plymouth where they will be put on trial for murder in a closed court. The frigate also recovered all of your belongings. I have them in the boot of my car"

I listened. He actually cared for me and was showing it. "Thank you. But, but I though you hated me?"

He was stunned by this remark "Hate you? How I could I ever hate you? I remember you as that frightened little boy all those years ago who had just lost his mother and needed someone to care for him. And that's what I did. I was there at your christening and when your parents asked me and my late wife to be your godparents. I never realized that's what you thought of me. I love you, always have, always will. You are like a son to me so I would never hate you. Look I know I was a bit of an asshole three years ago. I should have respected your decision but I didn't. I only thought about what I wanted you to do not what you wanted to do and that was foolish thing to do and for that I am truly sorry. Will you forgive me?"

This man never apologized for anything for as long as could remember. He always got his way and got what he wanted. So for him to say sorry meant he truly was. I had to forgive him, if it wasn't for him I would have wound up dead years ago. I owed him, like many others my life.

"Oh course I forgive you. I'm also sorry for being such a prick at times. We all do stupid things I doubt it will be the last"

Baines smiled back and I did too. After three years our relationship was finally on the mend. All it took was for me to be almost killed by an evil warlord from a distance planet.

Baines looked at Elita "I take it you're the one who has been caring for Michael?"

"Yes, after he freed me from MECH it was the least I could do for him" She looked down at me with the look of a mother love to her child.

"Well, that's what he does. He goes from a place to place and he helps people who need it. And that something I want to talk to you about Michael"

"And what would that be?"

"Look, I'm not getting any younger and I've done my bit for Queen and country, which is why I'm planning on retiring. I've seen what you managed to achieve after you left three years ago. I want to do the same, helping people"

"So, are you're going to put an ad in the paper for those with the odds against them?"

"Ha! No, well not quite. Look, I need someone who I can rely on, someone I can trust. I've already got a small team made up from those in the internal affairs unit when I was there all those years ago, but I need someone a bit younger and much more in shape-"

"-someone like me" I finished.

"Right" Baines confirmed.

"Look, you know I'm busy with my training and all. I don't want to do any of that anymore, that's why I joined the merchant navy. You know that more than anyone else"

"Well, that hasn't stopped you before. You investigated the reasons behind the sinking of the Catalonian Star and uncovered a terrorist organisation and freed her" He pointed at Elita. "You then also recovered MI5 files, so when you say you don't want to do this anymore, I'm finding it hard to believe. You'll always carry on doing it, because in truth you like it"

We all heard groaning coming from Mack. I quickly came to his bedside with Baines on the other, both waiting for him to open his eyes.

They slowly opened with some strain "Michael?" He asked as I imagine his vision was slightly blurry

"I'm here mate"

He looked to the other side "Admiral?" He was surprised to see someone so high ranking there, he tried to sit up but we both stopped him "Easy there Mack, you're still recovering" I told him.

"Did we succeed?" He asked.

"Yep, everything is taken care of"

He smiled "Great, that's great to hear"

"Navy or marines?" Baines asked.

"Royal marines 42 commando, sir"

"You did well, you should be proud of yourself"

"Thank you, sir"

Baines gestured to me with a simple flick of the hand for me to come with him. We stepped away from the bed "Look, Michael. I understand why you don't want to, but I could really use someone like you. I retiring and I don't want to just sit around waiting for my number to be called, I need to do something and I want to help people in the way you did"

I sighed a deep breath "You know I can't" I had a sudden brain wave, spouting out a good idea "How about this, I'll help you out if I can, if you will help me to help them. The Autobots are facing an uphill struggle and could use all the help they can get. Deal?"

"Well how about we bring this up with their commanding officer"

"Follow me" I instructed him. I led him out of the medical bay towards the main base computer.

"OPTIMUS!" I yelled out for him. Within moments we could hear the thumping of his footsteps and he emerged from the nearby corridor.

"Yes Michael?" He asked looking at us both. Baines was in slight shock at Optimus' scale.

"Rear Admiral Baines, wishes to speak to you"

I gestured to Baines as if giving him the floor. Baines came back to reality. He stepped forward very nervously, you wouldn't have known he was a high ranking officer in the Royal Navy by the way he stood.

"Well, well" He stuttered, trying to find the words "Well Michael has informed me that you could do with an extra body on your side. Well I'm retiring from the force very soon and I don't really know what to do with myself afterwards. I mean I had a terrible moment when I almost considered taking up gardening. I don't have much of a life outside of the navy so I don't have much to look forward to" He took a deep breath, taking a moment to gather his thoughts.

"I'm the one who taught Michael how to think, just like I did with his father so you can guess where my skills are. I understand about this problem of Decepticons using human agents. I used to flush out rouges years ago with Michael's fathers so I could help out with that. A lot of people won't want anything to do with an old bastard like me, but perhaps you might?"

Optimus stood there listening to what the old Admiral had to say. His furrowed his brow slightly.

"As you know of our presence and given your experience, someone of your expertise could become in extreme use considering recent events. We would be pleased to accept you into our fold" Optimus replied in the long winded way as the great Prime always did.

"Thank you very much, Optimus Prime" They both nodded once with respect to each other.

The proximity alarm went off. Baines looked around for answers.

"Agent Fowlers arrived" I told him.

The lift whirred in action and Fowler stepped out of the lift.

"Special Agent Fowler" Baines approached him with an outstretched hand "Rear Admiral Collin Baines, we spoke on the phone"

"Good to meet you at last. Glad to see someone new turn up on the base who isn't a kid"

Baines smiled and gave a single nod "Your tie isn't done up properly"

"Oh, not you as well!" Fowler sounded, immediately annoyed and started to fix his tie.

"Well I taught Michael the importance of a proper appearance. That's why when he was seven I sent him to the sea cadets"

I face palmed. I hoped he wasn't going to bring up my embarrassing childhood

"Collin" I wined like an annoyed child.

By now pretty much everyone on the base apart from Mack came to base, even Raff was on his feet. All the Autobots, Fowler, June and the kids.

"Michael you do know I still have that uniform you had when you were in the sea cadets"

"Sea cadets?" Elita asked, intrigued as I chose to not mention it as I always got embarrassed by it.

"It's like the scouts but on water, and they dress up in navy uniform, he was very cute wearing the sailors cap. You remember Michael, HMS Cambria?"

"Yes" I said flatly. I heard a few chuckles from some I didn't look behind to see who. I knew Miko was definitely one of them and almost certainly Bulkhead.

His mobile went off before he could come up with more embarrassing stories "Baines here… what?... But they're not meant to be back yet… well where are they now?... Right ok, how long till they in?... Four hours… can I put you on hold for a moment… thanks" He turned to me.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Well it would seem that Captain Wainwright who is commanding the HMS Albion is trying to sneak into Plymouth two days early without me knowing. This is the fourth time he has disobeyed orders. Honestly I don't why we have these boys in charge. Last time the ship was a mess when it arrived in, probably trying to cover something up before I inspect it when it should be coming in"

He looked to Optimus "I would be very grateful if you would send me to an airbase with your…"

"Ground bridge" I said.

"...Ground bridge, I need to sort this captain out"

"That will be no problem, Admiral" Optimus replied.

"Thank you" He put the phone to his ear "You there… good get hold of RNAS Culdrose and get the first Merlin they have on standby, I'll drop in on the ship and speak to Wainwright myself in person… thank you" He hung up the phone. "Honestly, the people coming through Dartmouth is nothing like it used to be. We used to actually follow orders, not go gallivanting off doing what hell we like"

He turned to face Elita "Look take good care of Michael, you hear? Otherwise I'll be knocking on your door and you won't like it"

"Consider that a promise, and I wouldn't mind hearing more his childhood, it would seem there are some parts he has left out"

I groaned.

Baines and I went down the steps toward his car. He opened up the boot and I hefted the bags out and piled them up to one side.

"Well, when you said you were joining the merchant navy, I didn't expect this" Baines said.

"Same"

"You take care"

"You too"

Baines walked to the driver's door and opened it up. "Doctor, please send me to Royal Naval Air Station Coldrose in Cornwall please" He asked Ratchet politely.

Ratchet operated the controls without being rude to the Admiral. He had no reason to, Baines asked in a nice polite way which pleased Ratchet after having to deal with the hot headed Agent and the explosive Japanese teenage girl.

The ground bridge burst into life, filling the control room with bright light emanating from the swirling wall of light. Baines watched it open up with wonder then he swept his vision toward the control room then towards me.

"Looks like I'll be seeing you more often and soon. Take care of yourself, not that I need to tell you that"

"Being seeing you soon" I said back. We both shared a brief smile then he climbed into the old Jaguar and fired up the engine. I stepped to the side out of the way as he reversed from the parking space and drove toward the swirling wall of light and disappeared in the event horizon. As soon as the light swallowed up the car the light itself died away as the ground bridge powered down. I stared a few long seconds at the empty tunnel as if I was still looking at Baines. In affect he was the last remaining link to my lost family.

I turned on my heels and proceeded up the steps toward the human area.

"So what's this about the sea cadets?" Miko asked.

"Ask me that one more time, I dare you"

She knew to shut up "Good girl, you're learning"

"So what's the plan for today?" Jack asked as he knew to try to move the subject away for my own sake before Miko could flare up again.

"Some rest hopefully" I said going toward the TV "Anyone want to play video games?"

"Sweet!" Miko declared.

"Yeah sure" Raff said while Jack shrugged.

I sat in the sofa while the kids practically jumped at it. June ad Autobots smiled. As the video console started up I couldn't help but muse that my life had just completed one big merry go round. I spent years trying to escape from Baines and the life he try to lead me to and here I am again, only this time I am going to accept the challenge of defending the realm, but not the United Kingdom, but the whole world by helping the Autobots defeat the Decepticons.

So from this day forward I would be a deck officer in training in the merchant navy by day, but a defender of Earth by night.

Meanwhile on the bridge of the Nemesis, Megatron stood watching the planet Earth revolving around, below him which he believed would soon to be his to rule. Soundwave silently came to his side and played back a recording _"It means a righteous infliction of retribution, manifested by an appropriate agent. Personified in this case by a horrible bastard… me"_

"Well it would seem that this Mr Rickers shares the same qualities of being hard to defeat like Optimus. If we can't break him physically, then we will break him mentally and he will soon learn his place. I will not have my plans foiled by a mere human. Soundwave see to it that our… servants focus their efforts of bringing him to me"

Soundwave made a sound to warrant Megatron's visual attention. Megatron turned on his heel to see what Soundwave was displaying on his screen for a face. On the screen was a yellow dragon facing to the left with a blue anchor tattoo on its wing, while holding up a flag staff with a white over red flag with two red roses of Lancaster and one white rose of York on the flag. It was the symbol of Warsash Maritime Academy.

"Yes, according to Arachnid he will be returning back this place of education. We will wait until he feels safe and then that is where we will strike, where the Autobots will be unable to defend him. Then we shall see who is our Nemesis"

Megatron chuckled in an evil manner. He would have his revenge on the one who stopped him when he was so close to finally learning the location of the Autobot base and he would take great pleasure in doing so.

The End.

* * *

><p><strong>Michael Rickers Will Return<strong>


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